Underneath It All
by CFierce116
Summary: Alyssa Stewart is trying to recover from the worst heartache and pain she has ever endured. What will happen when a member of The Shield enters her world? (Roman Reigns/OC) Please R&R!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Mmmmm baby you were amazing as always." Summer Rae pulled down her gold thigh grazing dress. She perched her hands on his muscular shoulders and leaned closer to his ear. "I'm always down for round two later on tonight," she whispered seductively in his ear.

Roman Reigns shrugged the diva off of his shoulder as he slipped his penis back into his black boxer briefs, pulling his cargo pants up with his underwear.

"Maybe," he grumbled as he zipped up his pants. He opened the door of the utility closet that Summer Rae pulled him into after his match and walked away.

As Roman walked back to his locker room, he cursed himself silently. Another stupid ass decision due to his dick having a mind of its own. He didn't understand why he continued to mess with Summer Rae when he knew that he had no interest in her whatsoever.

Roman didn't even remember exactly when he started messing with Summer Rae. Must've been at the urging of his two best friends, Seth & Dean, because otherwise he wouldn't even have given her the time of day. But now here he was involved with her, trying to hatch a plan to remove her from his life.

Ever since he was called up to the main roster of the WWE, he had his fair share of quick flings with a few of the divas backstage. But where most of them got the hint when he stopped texting them, Summer Rae didn't let his lack of communication deter her. She always found a way to slither back in and instead of standing up and saying no, he allowed himself to fall victim to her seductive trance time and time again.

Any other wrestler would've been happy to be the object of Summer Rae's affection, but Roman wasn't one of those men. While she was very attractive and comfortable with her sexuality, there wasn't any substance to her. Nothing about her intrigued Roman. She couldn't hold a decent conversation. She simply bored him. All she talked about was how pretty she was and how hot of a couple the two of them could be.

Roman scoffed. Like that would ever happen.

As Roman got older, he began to realize that he was growing tired of the flings. While he was known on TV as being the enforcer of The Shield, he was known backstage as being a heartthrob because of his sexual conquests. And to be honest, he was tired of being strictly associated with both monikers. There was much more to him than people knew but he kept it to himself because he felt that he hadn't found the woman to reveal his true self to that wouldn't judge him. He was constantly looking for that type of woman but instead he kept finding women like Summer Rae.

Just once, Roman wanted to find a woman that had some type of substance and intrigue.

* * *

Alyssa Stewart rolled her dark brown eyes as she held the phone to her ear, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "So exactly what do you expect me to do?" she asked the person on the other end as she walked down the arena hallway. "Well excuse me if I have to make a living and I'm always traveling. Why would I come there anyway because all we're going to do is argue." Alyssa shook her head as the person on the other line started to yell at her. "Well look when I get some time I'll think about coming home Mama. Hopefully by then your attitude about what I do with my life will have changed."

She forcefully pressed the end call button on her iPhone and sighed again, a sharp throbbing pain traveling across her forehead. She mentally kicked herself in the ass for even answering the phone when her caller id alerted her that it was her nagging mother calling her. But silly her for thinking that the two of them could have a civil conversation. Like that would ever happen.

"Now I need a drink," Alyssa mumbled to herself. She ran through a mental checklist of all of the tasks she needed to do before she could leave and endure the mundane burden of driving back to Tampa that night. After her stressful task of making sure that all the WWE Divas' makeup was camera ready for the Smackdown taping, Alyssa was going to reward herself with a few glasses of Hennessy.

At 27 years old, Alyssa should've been having the time of her life. She was a makeup artist & hairstylist for the WWE, a product that she had been a fan of since her younger years. As a major perk of the job, she got to travel to different places that she never dreamed she would be able to see while growing up on the West side of Chicago. She got to work with her best friends, Naomi & Cameron, also known as The Funkadactyls. The money was good, she loved what she did, and she had two great friends. So her life should've been good.

But it really wasn't.

Behind the facade that she displayed at work, lay a shattered woman in the process of putting her life back together. The fact that she had the perfect job was the only good thing that happened to her after her entire world imploded. Then she had to deal with the fact that her family didn't understand why she was working such a meaningless job and never made time for them. And she didn't understand why they just couldn't support her career and be happy for her. It was a constant struggle that had popped up ever since she made the decision that she was dropping out of college to pursue a career in cosmetology. They chided her for her decision and immediately discontinued offering her monetary or emotional support, therefore making her have to support herself at the age of 19. It was hard at first but she managed. And for once, she thought that her relationship with her family could be salvaged once she received life changing news.

But that repair job was prematurely ended as soon as it began. And now she was back to where she began at 19: on her own, supporting herself, and at odds with her family over the decisions that she made.

Alyssa exhaled softly as she pulled out her iPhone preparing to send a text to Naomi and Cameron asking if they wanted to get a drink once she got back to Tampa. As she looked down at her phone, she collided into a a muscular body. Alyssa stumbled backwards from the impact, almost falling on her ass when a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist saving her from the fall.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she gathered herself. She glanced at the hand that was still holding her wrist before her eyes reached the person's face to see Roman Reigns standing before her. She cleared her throat nervously making him release her wrist from his grasp. "Sorry. I shouldn't text and walk at the same time I see."

Roman pursed his lips and nodded his head. "It's cool," he replied evenly sending a nervous chill over Alyssa's body.

She blushed slightly as her and Roman stood there awkwardly, both unable to move. Her eyes traveled over his entire body habitually before returning to his face to see his eyes staring at her intently, a tiny smirk on his face. "What are you smirking at?" she asked briskly.

Roman shook his head, his wet locks moving from side to side. "Nothing," he simply said before he moved past her, his shoulder lightly grazing her arm.

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder at his retreating form, her eyebrow raising inquisitively before she shook her head again and walked away.


	2. Chapter 1

_**'It feels like a door fell on my head,'** _Alyssa thought to herself as the throbbing continued in her temple area, the loud pounding on her front door awakening her. She sighed softly as she turned on her back, her dark brown eyes slowly opening, hoping the loud pounding would disappear if she pretended she wasn't home.

All she wanted to do was sleep the day away. Another night of indulging herself with Hennessy and coke at the bar around the corner from her Tampa apartment. A hobby that found her amongst other customers that dropped a ton of cash to forget about any personal issues that awaited them when they woke up the next day.

Alyssa could definitely relate.

But apparently the person on the other side of the door wouldn't let her perfect day turn into a reality.

"Alyssa I know you in there!" the person on the other side of the door yelled. "I saw your car outside!"

Alyssa groaned as she kicked her sheets off of her, her bare right foot slipping out the bed as the breeze from her small desktop fan made goosebumps appear on her bare thigh. She slid out the bed and wobbled to the door, scratching her head before swinging the door open, revealing her best friend Naomi on the other side.

Naomi's irritated scowl was replaced with a look of worry once she saw the state her friend was in.

"Girl you look terrible!" Naomi exclaimed causing Alyssa to smack her lips in response as she turned away from her friend.

"Gee thanks," she mumbled as she wobbled back to her bed and fell back down.

Naomi made her way into the apartment and closed the door behind her. She placed her purse on Alyssa's wooden kitchen table. She made her way over to the cabinet and grabbed a glass to fill with water.

"So I guess this could explain why you missed out on meeting me for breakfast this morning?" she asked, placing the glass on the night stand. She placed her hand under her friend's shoulder and helped her sit up slowly.

Alyssa sighed as she took the glass of water and Aspirin Naomi handed her, slipping the pill into her mouth. She took a small swallow of water. "My fault. I totally forgot."

Naomi frowned as she smelled Alyssa's Hennessy scented breath. "I see you had an eventful night last night."

"Naomi don't start."

"I just made a comment Lyssa."

"Yes I went to the bar last night. I had a stressful day at work dealing with bitchy divas so I went to unwind. Is that such a problem?" Alyssa asked, the snippiness dripping from her tone.

Naomi parted her lips but quickly shut her mouth. She really wasn't trying to argue with Alyssa and come off sounding like a nagging mother. Alyssa was grown and so it was perfectly fine for her to grab a drink to unwind from work if she wanted.

"Well start getting ready. We can go grab a quick bite to eat before we head to the mall."

Alyssa groaned as she quickly remembered the fact that she was supposed to accompany Naomi to the mall to help her find an dress for her engagement dinner later that evening that she was throwing with her fiancee Jimmy.

"Do we really have to go to the mall Naomi?" Alyssa asked as she reached over and turned her fan off. "I'm sure you have PLENTY of dresses you can wear to the dinner in your closet already."

Naomi waved off her friend and shook her head. "Nope. You're not getting out of this one. I want a brand new dress to wear tonight. And don't you dare try telling me that I should try to save money when you have clothes in your closet with tags still on them," she said with a sigh, running a hand through her long black hair. "Look Alyssa I know you been going through some shit lately. And I've been there as your best friend to help you the best way I know how. But now I need you to be there as my best friend and maid of honor. I'm getting ready to marry Jimmy and the shit is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. This may be selfish of me to ask but I just need you be there for me this time and help me get through this."

Alyssa bit the inside corner of her lip as she looked into her friend's pleading eyes. It was true that while she went through the rough patch recently that Naomi was there when she needed her, despite planning a wedding. Now it was her turn to do the same.

Alyssa nodded her head as she swung her legs off the bed before leaning forward and hugging Naomi. She pulled back and pushed herself off the bed, grabbing her towel and robe as she made her way to the bathroom in the corner of her studio apartment. "Just give me a few minutes to get myself together so I won't look like death warmed up in a microwave," she tossed over her shoulder to her friend before disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

A loud, deep yawn escaped from Roman's mouth as he walked out the bathroom in his hotel room, a towel wrapped around his waist. He shook his head as he watched the slender, naked female body stir slightly, the sheets haphazardly strewn across her bottom half, her breasts exposed to his view.

Roman bent over and picked her short black mini dress off the floor, tossing it on her body before his large hand shook her shoulder.

"Hey," he barked. "You gotta go."

The girl groaned as she started to awaken, stretching her arms above her head before sitting up, her mascara stained on her face and blonde hair sticking on top of her head.

"What time is it?" Summer Rae asked groggily.

"Time for you to go," Roman repeated as he dropped his towel on the floor revealing his naked muscular body and sitting on the bed. He heard the sheets rustle behind him as he silently thanked God that Summer Rae finally got the hint to disappear immediately. He released an agitated sigh as he felt her arms snake around his midsection.

"I had fun last night. I can't wait for next time."

Roman shrugged her off his shoulders and shook his head. Once again he didn't know why he even allowed her into his room when she showed up the night before. But he did. And before he knew it they were fucking again. Now here they were in the same situation that they always ended up in: her wanting their arrangement to transform into something more and him wanting her to simply disappear. "Look there won't be a next time," he told with an even tone, running a hand over his face. "I'm getting tired of this and pretending that I like you more than I do because I really don't. So before you even fall deeper I'm ending it. Now once again, it's time for you to go because I have shit to do."

Summer Rae smacked her lips and rolled her eyes, snatching her dress off the bed before slipping it up her slender legs. "Fine. I can take a fuckin hint Reigns. Don't come begging back for more. You'll get promptly denied."

"Don't worry. I won't come back," he retorted, silently telling himself that even if he was crazy enough to go back for seconds, Summer Rae would eagerly accept his advances and quickly forget this moment now. He pulled his gray boxer briefs up his legs before tossing on a tank top, still refusing to make eye contact with her. She stepped in front of him, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, her 5 inch heels in her hand, arms crossed over her chest. Roman finally looked into her face, his eyebrow raised. "Did you need something?" he asked, not really caring about her response.

Summer Rae smacked her lips again and turned on her heel, leaving Roman's room in a huff. SOnce she left, Roman rolled his gray orbs before grabbing his iPhone off the nightstand to check his messages and make a quick call to his cousin Jimmy.

"Hey man what's going on? It's Roman. Anyway what time is this engagement dinner tonight?" he asked Jimmy. "Aiight man. Just text me the address and I'll see you later tonight."

Roman dropped the phone on the bed as a someone loudly banged on his hotel door. He sighed, hoping it wasn't Summer Rae wanting to bother him again as he pushed himself off the bed. He swung the door open.

"What now?" he asked with an agitated sigh.

"Caught you at a bad time dude?" Roman's friend and stable mate, Dean, asked, his brows furrowed in amusement.

"Sorry. Thought you were someone else," Roman mumbled as he walked back into the room allowing Dean and his other friend and stable mate, Seth, to walk in.

"Rough morning with a Miss Summer Rae huh?" Seth asked with a cheeky grin. Roman shook his head as a chuckle left his lips. "Welp I guess you have earned your spot her shit list."

Roman shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. I don't even care. I'm getting too old for this shit," Roman ranted as he slipped on his sneakers.

Dean scoffed. "Look I say as long as you don't let it interfere with your career it's okay to use these broads for a little fun. Don't tell me you're getting soft on me boy."

"Yeah Roman," Seth chimed in. "You've been the pioneer of the 'fuck em, leave em' movement. You telling us the playboy is getting tired of the lifestyle?"

Roman bit the corner of his lip thoughtfully, wondering if he should tell his friends the truth. Should he tell them that he was tired of fuckin the airheads that had nothing to offer but some head and a piece of ass for him to bust a nut to. Should he tell them that seeing his cousin Jimmy preparing to marry the woman that he loved with all his heart had him feeling that itch? That he was getting to the point where he wanted to find a woman that he could build a life with that reminded him of his parents. That he wanted to find a woman that could eventually become his wife, the mother of his children, and his life partner until he was old and gray? Should he tell them that he was ready to finally grow the fuck up now that he was close to 30?

Instead, he shook his head, a coy smile appearing on his face.

"Man y'all crazy," he replied with a chuckle. His friends grinned at his response.

"Oh I thought you were bitchin out for a second Reigns," Dean said making his way to the door, Seth following closely behind. "Knowing you, you'll find a replacement piece of ass as soon as you walk out this hotel."

The three friends shared a laugh as Roman grabbed his belongings off the night stand before following his friends out the room.


	3. Chapter 2

The warm acidic beer tingled Roman's esophagus as he took a sip, his left hand casually sitting in his pocket as he stood around a few of his co-workers, half heartedly listening to their conversation. A small smirk crept on his lips as he listened to Seth replay a story of a fan waiting for him outside his hotel room a few weeks ago while his mind wandered. He definitely didn't feel like being there but he had to. His cousin was set to marry his sweetheart Naomi and it would be weird and suspicious if he wasn't in attendance. He loved his cousin and was happy for him but every time he saw him with Naomi he was reminded of what was missing from his life.

"Reigns where the fuck is your head at?"

Roman's head snapped up as he turned slightly to see Seth looking at him skeptically, the other men in the group doing the same as well. Roman ran a hand over his long black hair that was gathered into a ponytail sheepishly.

"What you say?" he asked simply.

"I said it looks like you have a fan," Seth repeated, wondering what was going on in his tag team partner's mind. He nodded his head across the room. Roman followed his gesture and groaned when he saw Summer Rae staring at him before glancing away and saying something to one of the Bella Twins. He shook his head.

"Oh," he simply replied as he took another sip of his beer.

Cody Rhodes chuckled. "So I take it you're not a fan of Miss Summer Rae's?" he asked.

"She's only good for one thing. And once you get that from her multiple times she becomes stale," Roman replied. "But you know women. Can't take no for an answer. Don't wanna take no for an answer when they think you about to make it big in this business."

The other men murmured their agreement as the door to the lounge everybody was housed in open. The guests in attendance clapped loudly as Jimmy Uso and Naomi walked through the door, wide smiles plastered on their countenances. Some of the men whistled loudly as Jimmy spun his fiancee around and dipped her before capturing her lips in a breathtaking kiss while the women let out a collective aww. Roman shook his head with a smile at his cousin's showboating as the couple made their way through the crowd greeting the guests.

Then he saw her.

He quietly sucked in a breath as he watched the woman that he ran into earlier that week quietly walk into the lounge, her eyes darting around the room nervously. He watched as the flowy olive green sheer dress swayed with her body when she moved, carefully grabbing the banister so she wouldn't fall in her brown sandals. A small smile formed on her plump lips when Naomi's tag team partner, Cameron, walked up to her and quickly hugged her. He watched as her eyes lit up as she dramatically waved her hands in the air before sharing a laugh with Cameron. Suddenly her doe like brown eyes locked on his intense gray orbs. They held the stare for a few seconds, her arched eyebrow raising inquisitively before Naomi joined her and Cameron, effectively disrupting the moment between the two. Roman exhaled sharply as he felt a hearty slap on his back. He turned around and saw his smiling cousin had joined the group.

"Man I'm so glad you could make it," Jimmy said happily before engulfing Roman in a hug.

"You thought I was gonna miss an opportunity to give you shit about getting married?" Roman playfully asked with a chuckle. "You mean to tell me that you're truly ready to be with one woman for the rest of your life?"

"Man look. When you got a woman like Naomi that's all the woman you need. I knew that when I first met her down in developmental. I was just waiting for her to get her act together and realize what a great catch in me she had," Jimmy responded causing the other men to laugh. "Trust me brah. When you find the right woman that you're meant to change your life for and grow old with, you'll get the same feeling."

* * *

"What the hell you two over here giggling at?"

Alyssa tore her eyes away from Roman's intense gaze and faced Naomi who joined her and Cameron. "Just telling Cameron how you had me going to every single store in the mall looking for this outfit. Damn girl you wore me the fuck out," she said with a playful eye roll.

"But girl it was well worth it because you are looking fab-u-lous!" Cameron exclaimed, snapping her fingers with every syllable. Naomi laughed as she twirled in the bright orange fitted maxi dress with a deep slit on the right side.

"I know. And I definitely couldn't have done it without my girl right here," she said as she tossed her arm around Alyssa's neck, careful to not tug on her large Aztec designed hoop earring.

Alyssa grinned and brushed an imaginary piece of dirt off her shoulder. "Definitely couldn't have you up in here at your engagement party looking a hot mess girl."

"Speaking of hot mess did y'all see what some of these chicks wearing?" Cameron asked, curling her nose in disgust. "You can just tell that they thought they were going to the club to pick up a man and not an engagement party."

Naomi shook her head at her tag team partner as Alyssa softly chuckled. She glanced up briefly towards the spot where Roman was standing earlier and saw him talking to Jimmy, his cousin and Naomi's fiancee. Her eyes darted over his attire: a simple black button up shirt and matching gray perfectly tailored slacks with matching shoes, his long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. 'Why the fuck he keep on staring at me?' she asked herself. Before the night she accidentally ran into him, she had knew of him since he was Jimmy's cousin and because of the gossip she heard from the divas. She had also saw him around a few times backstage. But most of the time he was so focused on his matches, well immersed in his character that he always seemed he was in his own world. But he never looked her way until a few nights ago and again tonight. He never stared into her eyes as if he could stare into her soul. She gasped suddenly as his gaze caught hers before lowering her head and rubbing her left ring finger subconsciously.

"I think I'm gonna get some water," she said to her two friends, not wanting to even smell a drop of liquor after last night. She quickly darted through the crowd towards the bar and placed her hands on the marble top.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" she yelled, her soft voice going unnoticed by the two bartenders that were tending to the other patrons. She sighed and turned around, coming face to chest with Roman.

"What did you need?" he asked, his deep voice even and emotionless. She gulped.

"Just some water."

He nodded his head and moved to her left, slightly grazing her bare shoulder. He held up his hand and a bartender appeared instantly. "Another beer for me and a cup of water for the lady here," he ordered. A few seconds later, the bartender placed both beverages on the bar before disappearing again after grabbing Roman's money.

"Thank you," Alyssa said meekly glancing up and shooting Roman a small smile. A gesture he returned.

"You're welcome Alyssa."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How did you know my name?" she asked causing him to smirk.

"Well we do work for the same company and you're best friends with my cousin's fiancee," Roman explained taking a sip of his beer. "Anyway I would hope I did know your name after we spent the last few minutes staring at each other."

Alyssa's cheeks became flushed with embarrassment as she chuckled nervously, eagerly drinking her water from the small plastic cup. "You mean after you spent the last few minutes staring at me?" Her tone was teasing, a coy grin playing upon the corners of her lips. Roman held up his hands.

"Ok you caught me. I admit I was staring at you. But it's not like you weren't doing the same. And can you blame me for staring at a beautiful woman like you?" he said softly looking down into Alyssa's brown eyes, biting the corner of his lip.

Alyssa's breath got caught in her throat, taking in the flirtatious nature of the conversation she was having with Roman. This was completely out of character for her. The only wrestlers she interacted with outside of work were Naomi, Cameron, and Jimmy. Never in a million years would she have thought Roman would have noticed her or know her name. Never would she have thought he would openly and shamelessly flirt with her. But yet here they were.

Alyssa parted her glossed lips to respond when she saw Summer Rae saunter up to the two and throw her arms around Roman's neck. She promptly closed her mouth, quietly admonishing herself for getting carried away with her thoughts.

"Baby here you are. I've been looking all over for you," Summer Rae purred in his ear, lifting her leg and rubbing Roman's calf. Alyssa watched as Roman's jaw tensed up once he heard her voice. Summer Rae's grin dropped slightly as she turned her attention to Alyssa, her eyes rolling with disdain. "Hello," she greeted, her voice pretentious.

"Hi," Alyssa replied, her own voice dry and monotone. She grabbed her small clutch purse off the bar before glancing back up at Roman. "Thanks for the water Roman." She turned around on her heel and disappeared through the crowd looking for her friends.

**A/N: Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews. Greatly appreciated! **


	4. Chapter 3

"Earth to Alyssa!"

Alyssa's head snapped up suddenly, her reverie abruptly ending as Naomi stared at her in the mirror, an agitated scowl on her face. Alyssa shot her friend an apologetic smile as she ran the paddle brush through Naomi's hair. Another day, another city, another show. This time they were in Los Angeles for the Summerslam pay-per-view, one of WWE's top 4 popular pay-per-views. Instead of her head being focused on work however, Alyssa couldn't stop thinking about her encounters with Roman Reigns.

After the flirtatious moment the two shared before being interrupted by Summer Rae, Alyssa barely saw Roman at the different show tapings. But maybe that was a good thing. She couldn't bare imagine how awkward the exchange for them would be and she didn't want to find out any time soon.

But that didn't mean she could get his intense gray eyes out of her head.

But that was weeks ago. And she needed to be focused on the task at hand: getting the divas dolled up for the Summerslam Axxess event later that day. After working on the different divas that had signings and appearances, she was finishing up with Naomi & Cameron.

"My bad girl. What's up?" Alyssa asked Naomi.

"Maybe I should be asking you that. Girl where is your head at? It clearly ain't here. And hasn't been here for the past few weeks. What's up with you?"

"Girl you know I'm just thinking about the plans for your bachelorette party trip," Alyssa lied with a shrug of her shoulders. "You know I gotta make sure we get turnt up!"

"Lyssa you are a HORRIBLE liar," Naomi said with a laugh. "Now tell me the truth. What's wrong?"

A knock at the door saved Alyssa from divulging the truth to Naomi, something that she quietly thanked God for. Alyssa quickly walked to the door and opened it revealing Cameron on the other side.

"Hey y'all!" Cameron said happily as she skipped into the room. "What's going on?"

"I'm trying to make Alyssa tell me what the hell been bugging her for the past few weeks," Naomi told her tag team partner causing Alyssa to release an audible groan.

"Oh girl she must got Roman Reigns on the brain. And I damn sure don't blame you because that man is fine!" Cameron exclaimed causing Naomi to turn around in her chair and Alyssa's cheeks to develop a deep crimson blush.

"Roman as in Jimmy's cousin? What the hell you talking about Cameron?" Naomi asked, knowing Alyssa would attempt to play it off.

"Well according to Brie and Alicia seems like miss thang over here was getting mighty cozy to Roman at y'all engagement party a few weeks ago. He was all in her personal space and she was staring into his eyes dreamily and shit."

"I so was not!" Alyssa objected, finally speaking. "Y'all know these divas be exaggerating. That's not what happened at all."

"So what happened then?" Naomi asked her friend.

"Yeah what happened?" Cameron repeated with a smirk.

Alyssa sighed as she realized the two would not drop the subject until she told them the story. She picked up her flat iron and began to straighten Naomi's hair. "So a few days before the party, I literally ran into Roman backstage. He kept staring at me and the shit was so awkward. So y'all know I have a smart mouth so I asked him what was he staring at and he simply said, '**Nothing.'** So I brushed it off. Then when I walked into the lounge for the engagement party, I felt like somebody was staring at me. I look up and it's him again. But it wasn't creepy like, **'Bitch I'mma kill you'** it was more like he was staring into my soul. So we held the stare for a few minutes because I'm expecting him to make a move but he didn't. So I shook the shit off again. So I went to the bar and he finally approached me and called me by my name. So I asked, **'How you know my name?'** So then he says, **'I would hope I know your name since we been staring at each other since you walked in.'** Alyssa repeated, imitating his deep voice. "So then y'all know my smart ass hit him with the, **'Oh so you admit you were staring at me'** and he was like, **'Well you can't blame me for staring at a beautiful woman like you.'**"

"Ah shit!" Cameron yelled clapping her hands in approval. "So y'all were just flirting it up. Check you out! So what happened next?"

"Well before I could even respond Summer Rae came up and interrupted us. So I just bounced. That's it that's all."

"That's all? Aww naw. You don't spit that type of game that Roman was and get to end the story with that's all. What you gonna do?"

"What the hell you mean what I'm gonna do?" Alyssa asked, turning her head to face Cameron who sat cross legged on the bed. "I'm gonna do my job. He was just making conversation. Nothing more and nothing less. Anyway I haven't seen him since that night so I'm not tripping."

"Girl shiiittt if it was me I'd find his tall sexy ass and twer-"

"Please spare us the details Cam," Naomi said holding up her hand and quieting her tag team partner. She glanced at Alyssa in the mirror. "But if it was nothing more than what you say it was Alyssa why has he been on your mind since the party?"

Alyssa shrugged her shoulders again, biting the corner of her lip thoughtfully as she draped a piece of Naomi's hair to the side. "Like I've never had any type of interactions with Roman before that night at the taping. And I damn sure never talked to him like we were at the party. So it just threw me through a loop that we were standing there shamelessly flirting with each other out of nowhere. But it's over with because clearly him and Summer Rae are a couple and he was just being a horny man looking for his new piece of ass."

"Girl please. Him and Summer Rae are a couple as much as me and you are a couple," Naomi informed her. "Yeah they've probably hooked up a few times but he's single and not seeing anybody exclusively. And Roman's not that bad. He seems all scary and intimidating and I know you've probably heard a lot of shit about him being a playboy from the divas but it's like you said the divas exaggerate a lot. He's actually a nice guy. So if you wanted to give it a shot I definitely wouldn't think that's a bad idea."

"Yeah and anyway Summer Rae ain't got shit on you. She could easily be removed from the equation," Cameron added.

Alyssa shook her head, halting her friends' attempt at trying to convince her to make a play for Roman. That wasn't her style. Especially with somebody she worked with. Alyssa wasn't shy by any means but she wasn't the type to throw herself at a man either. She had too much pride and respect to stoop so low.

"Naw y'all. I'm okay. I'm pretty sure Roman forgot about me as soon as he took Summer Rae back to his room. I'm just gonna continue to do my work and forget about everything. It's not a big deal."

Naomi glanced at Alyssa's face in the mirror as she continued working on her hair before sharing a knowing glance with Cameron.

* * *

Roman couldn't remove her big brown doe like eyes from his brain.

Ever since their encounters backstage at the Smackdown taping and at the engagement party, he couldn't get her off his mind. He wanted her to stay there and continue talking to him. He wanted to find out as much as he could about her: what's her favorite holiday, favorite sports team, favorite music artist, her favorite type of date, worst childhood memory. Anything he could find out to let him know what kind of woman she was. Truth be told he had seen her around the various tapings and house shows before they ran into each other. And he took notice of her the few times he seen her, admiring her from afar. But she always looked like she was in her own world and was constantly thinking about something and therefore not paying any attention to him. So he never had the nerve to talk to her.

Until that night at the engagement party.

Then Summer Rae had to come fuck the shit up.

Roman clenched his jaw muscles tightly as he thought about how Summer Rae appeared out of nowhere, tossing herself on him like they were a couple. Although they both knew that that was far from the truth especially after their argument earlier that day.

But Alyssa didn't know that. And he could see in her big brown eyes that she believed that he was involved with Summer Rae, effectively ending whatever small rapport they built to that point.

Since then Roman returned his focus back to work and training. And today was another work related event. A signing at Summerslam Axxess. He had worked so hard to get to this point where he would have his own signing session with the fans that loved the work that he did in the WWE. It was crazy to think about how far he had come in less than a year of being on the main roster but he was definitely grateful.

"Hey Roman you hungry?"

Roman turned his head slightly to the right and faced Seth and Dean. The fan signing was finally over and he was starving. Roman nodded his head as he massaged the cramps from his right hand.

"Hell yeah," he grumbled grabbing his bottle of water from the table. "Let's see what they have around here."

A few minutes later, the three men sat at a rectangular table, their lunch sitting in front of them as they recounted what happened at the fan signing earlier that day.

"Man I'm still mad that chick didn't ask me to sign her boobs," Seth whined as he talked about a female fan asking Roman to sign the top of her breasts. "You get all the female fans. They love you because you're cousins with The Rock and shit." Seth pouted as Roman chuckled.

"Yeah they can't get enough of this man and his screaming and grunting and long hair. I think I should kinda hate you dude," Dean added with a playful roll of the eye. "Speaking of women, word around the locker room is that you had two women fighting over you at Jimmy & Naomi's engagement party."

Roman nearly choked on his sandwich, his eyes slightly widened. "Really now? And who would that be?"

"A miss Summer Rae and that makeup chick. You know Naomi's best friend," Seth explained. "Heard Summer Rae came up and claimed her territory and shit."

"First of all she can't claim me because she never had me. Second of all nobody was fighting over me. I was merely talking to Alyssa and Summer Rae interrupted us like the pest that she is."

"Alyssa huh?" Dean asked with a coy smile. "So you know her name?"

"Man don't start." Roman shook his head.

"I'm just saying I find it amusing that you know her name although it's not like you ever had to get your makeup and hair done. But hey maybe you're more sociable than I am," Dean said causing Seth to chuckle. Roman shot them a death glare. "What's the deal anyway?"

"There's no deal with us. She was trying to catch the bartender's attention but couldn't and I helped her out. We talked for a bit. There may have been some slight flirting but that was it. Then she left. Nothing really. I haven't even seen her since then and I probably won't see her again."

Seth gestured towards the entrance of the cafeteria with his head. "You sure about that?"

Roman turned slightly in his seat as he watched Alyssa walk into the cafeteria with Naomi and Cameron. Roman's eyes followed her every move as he watched her joke around with the two divas, her eyes sparkling with her laugh. His eyes wandered down her body as he took in her attire: a plain navy off the shoulder top which partially revealed her bra strap and a pair of leggings with a pair of slip on sandals. Even dressed down she was beautiful.

Roman's trance was interrupted when he heard Dean clear his throat. He tore his eyes away from Alyssa and looked back at his stable mates to see the amused look in their eyes. "What?"

"Dude why don't you just go up to her and talk to her instead of staring at her like a creeper?" Seth asked his friend. Roman shook his head.

"And say what?"

"Hey why don't you bring your sexy ass over here and sit on this dick and eat lunch with me?" Dean stated simply causing Seth to shake his head. "What? I thought it was simple and straight to the point."

"You really have no fuckin filter bro," Seth told him as he watched the trio quickly approaching their table. As soon as the three ladies got closer he made his move. "Well if it isn't The Funkadactlys. How are you lovely ladies doing this afternoon?"

Naomi stopped in her tracks and shot Seth a smile as she looked at the three members of The Shield. She smirked as she watched Roman shoot Seth a death glare, keeping his eyes away from Alyssa. "Hey y'all. How are y'all doing?" she asked.

"Just doing fine Miss Knight. Just got finished with a signing. Don't you two have one in a few?"

"Yeah. Just trying to grab a bite to eat before then." Naomi playfully punched Roman in the shoulder. "So you can't speak to your future cousin in law huh?"

Roman smirked as he finally looked up at the three ladies, watching as Alyssa slightly squirmed out the corner of his eye. "My bad," he simply said before returning his attention to his sandwich.

"So would you ladies like to join us for lunch?" Seth asked with a smirk as he watched Alyssa and Roman avoid eye contact with each other.

Naomi stifled a giggle as both Roman's and Alyssa's heads snapped up in horror before she took a seat next to Seth. "I thought you would never ask," she said. Cameron quickly took a seat next to Dean leaving the only open seat next to Roman.

Alyssa exhaled softly as she rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what the four so called matchmakers were trying to pull. She took a seat next to Roman before quickly glancing up at his face. "Hi."

Roman nodded his head as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, the floral scent of her perfume making him dizzy and even more nervous. He didn't know what it was about Alyssa that made him panic like he was in high school but he needed to get it together quickly. "Hey."

Seth shook his head amusingly before reaching over and sticking his hand out. "Since Roman's being rude again I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Seth and this is Dean," he said gesturing to Dean. Dean nodded his head in response. "You're Alyssa right?"

"Yeah," she replied, unsure of how he knew her name, wondering if Roman told the other two her name or anything else about her for that matter.

"So are you guys going to the party tonight?" Cameron asked attempting to break the ice. The men shrugged their shoulders not really sure if they should attend or not. "Y'all should! I'm sure it will be fun. We'll all be there."

"We?" Alyssa asked, her brow raised. She definitely had no plans of attending the SummerSlam kickoff party since she wasn't a wrestler. As far as she was concerned she was going to spend some quality time with her hotel bed and the pay per view selections the hotel offered.

"Naomi, you, and me silly. You didn't think we were gonna leave you upstairs by yourself watching movies did you?" Cameron asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's SummerSlam weekend. Time to go out and let loose tonight! You can be boring back home."

Alyssa looked at Naomi who pretended like she was interested in something on her phone and shook her head. "If only I was that lucky," Alyssa replied sarcastically with a fake grin. She looked over to Roman who remained quiet since she sat down. "So are you going?" she asked.

Roman's head shot up when he realized Alyssa was speaking to him. Although he was going, he really wasn't looking forward to the idea. But now that he knew that she would be there, his reluctance slowly started to disappear.

"Yeah," he answered softly.

"Oh. Is your boo Summer Rae gonna be there?" Alyssa asked, her smart mouth once again getting the best of her. She mentally kicked herself hoping she didn't sound jealous.

Roman shrugged his shoulders, slightly amused at the disgust dripping from her voice when Alyssa said Summer Rae's name. "Summer Rae isn't my responsibility, problem, or my woman so I could care less what she did."

Alyssa squinted her left eye, trying to determine if Roman was being truthful about Summer Rae not being his woman. She held the stare with Roman before straightening her face. "Oh ok. I was just making sure I didn't have to worry about one of your many women trying to jump me if they see me talking to you tonight."

"So you meaning to tell me you'll actually be spending time with me at the party?" Roman asked, a smirk creeping on the corners of his lips causing Alyssa to chuckle.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but what I meant is that I don't want to step on anybody's toes if I happen to say hi to you if I see you tonight," she clarified.

The other four occupants of the table chuckled at the banter between Roman and Alyssa, reminding the two that they weren't alone. Alyssa patted the top of her head and groaned when she realized she didn't have her sunglasses and that she must've forgotten them back in her room when she was being distracted by Naomi and Cameron teasing her about Roman. "Fuck I gotta go back to the room for my sunglasses.," she said to her two friends as she stood up from the table.

Seth quickly kicked Roman in the leg causing the wrestler to grumble at him. Seth gestured towards Alyssa with his head as she searched through her small wristlet for her key card. He looked at Naomi and Cameron who smiled at him and also gestured towards Alyssa. He sighed before standing up as well. "I'll go with you."

Alyssa felt her breath get caught in her throat. She parted her lips to tell him that he didn't have to go with her. That she could handle going to the room by herself. But that she couldn't handle being alone with him.

Instead she shrugged her shoulders. She turned to face Cameron & Naomi. "I'll catch up with y'all in a few."

"Ok girl. Take as much time as you need," Cameron said emphasizing the word 'much' as she grinned widely. Naomi palmed her face in embarrassment causing Roman to chuckle and Alyssa's cheeks to turn slightly red before she hurried out the cafeteria.

Once they were in the elevator, Roman glanced down at Alyssa. "I'm sorry about Seth. He's not very slick."

"Please it's no problem," Alyssa assured him with a wave of her hand. "He was much better than Naomi and Cameron. That was the most awkward shit I've ever dealt with. I'm so embarrassed." She chuckled nervously

"No need to be embarrassed Alyssa. I think in their eyes they thought they were doing us a favor. But I'm glad that we're alone now."

"And why is that?"

"So I can apologize," Roman said causing Alyssa to crane her neck to look up at him. "I just wanted to apologize for Summer Rae interrupting us at Jimmy & Naomi's engagement party. She was plain rude. But lemme clarify that she is not my girlfriend."

The elevator stopped on Alyssa's floor and the two stepped out and made their way to Alyssa's room. "Why do you feel the need to clarify that for me Roman? Or apologize for that matter? You don't owe me an explanation and you can date anybody you want to."

"I know. But I didn't want that incident at the party to make you hesitate speaking to me. Because I don't know about you but I liked talking to you at the party. Even if it was only for a few minutes."

Alyssa was grateful that she was facing the door so Roman couldn't see the wide goofy grin on her face. She unlocked her door and propped it open with her foot as she grabbed her sunglasses off the table next to the door. She let the door slam shut before she slipped her sunglasses on her head. "You don't even know me Roman. I could be crazy for all that you know," she countered placing a hand on her hip.

Roman shook his head with a lazy grin on his face. "You're right I don't know you. But I don't think you're crazy. I've dealt with crazy women and you don't appear to be that way. All I'm saying is that I would like to get to know you as a friend. I could always use a new friend."

Alyssa felt her stomach drop as she heard the word "friend" tumble from Roman's mouth, her mood instantly plummeting. "Oh of course. Just friends. Yeah I completely agree."

"And who knows," Roman began as he stepped closer to Alyssa and placing his hand on her arm causing her to swallow nervously. Goosebumps quickly formed underneath his finger tips. "That friendship could possibly turn into something more." Roman stared into Alyssa's eyes, mentally pleading with himself to refrain from pulling her body closer to his and attacking her lips with his own.

Alyssa stared back into his eyes, biting her bottom lip to stop her from grinning again. Her eyes traveled to his full lips as an intense heat warmed her stomach. She didn't know what was going on with her. Here she was daydreaming about making out with a man she barely knew. One side of her brain told her to slow down she was moving too fast. But the other side just wanted for her to go with the flow and see what would happen. And it was about time for her to invite some excitement in her life.

She slowly nodded her head, a coy smirk spreading across her glossed lips. "Yep there's always that possibility," she agreed.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for the follows, the favorites, and the reviews! They are greatly appreciated! :-)**


	5. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thanks for the love as usual. Now that the holidays have died down I can finally post the next chapter! Hope everybody had a wonderful holiday!**_

* * *

"Remind me to block you and Naomi on my iPhone when we leave LA," Alyssa mumbled as she & Cameron walked into the banquet room where the SummerSlam kickoff party was being held. Since Naomi decided to attend the party with Jimmy, Cameron made sure to drag Alyssa out the party like she promised earlier. Alyssa bit her bottom lip nervously as she watched numerous WWE superstars and celebrities mingle inside the banquet room. "I feel like I'm way too underdressed."

Cameron smacked her lips as she looked over Alyssa's outfit which consisted of a black and silver A-line skirt, a sheer mustard yellow blouse buttoned to the top, and matching black peep toe platform pumps. "Girl you trippin. You look hot! And once Roman's sexy ass see you and these legs he is gonna lose his mind! Although I still say you could've showed some cleavage. If you got it flaunt it is my motto!" Cameron exclaimed making Alyssa roll her eyes. "Speaking of, do you see him?"

Alyssa nervously twirled her curled honey brown hair on her index finger as her eyes wandered around the dark room, looking for Roman when she finally spotted him standing by the bar talking to Seth and Dean. A warm flush overcame her body and her stomach started to flutter as she eyed his outfit of the night: a crisp white dress shirt with another pair of well tailored pants.

"He's over by the bar," Alyssa replied, nodding towards the bar.

Cameron glanced over her shoulder towards the bar area before looping her arm with Alyssa. "Ok girl now just relax and take a deep breath. I mean yeah this man is a damn adonis that every woman in this room would give their last to spend one night with but he's just a man. They come a dime a dozen."

"I just want you to know that that didn't make me feel any better," Alyssa told her friend as they began to walk around the room.

Cameron sighed. "Look Alyssa I could see if you were ugly or some shit. But you're not. Because I don't have ugly friends. So why are you so nervous about talking to Roman? The way I look at it if he likes you, great. If he doesn't, fuck him and we'll replace him with a new man tomorrow," she said causing Alyssa to laugh. "Girl there's no doubt in my mind that once he gets to know the real you he won't be able to get enough of you!"

Alyssa smiled at Cameron's attempt to cheer her up. "I hear what you saying Cam. I shouldn't be acting like this over a man. But ever since that shit happened to me...I don't know. I guess I just don't trust my judgement in men. And I guess the shit that I went through just made me feel like there was something wrong with me and that's why everything happened."

"Alyssa don't even think like that!" Cameron admonished. "What happened, while tragic, was definitely not your fault so you get that thought out your mind. Look I don't mean to sound harsh but that shit happened a loooonnnggg time ago. It's time to let that go and move on with your life. And moving on means getting back into the dating game. Now I'm not saying Roman and you are gonna hit it off and live happily ever after. But damn allow yourself to have some fun. Because girl you acting like you 78 in a nursing home instead of 27. Live a little!" Cameron urged cheerfully making Alyssa to laugh again.

Alyssa let Cameron's words sink in, nodding her head in agreement. For the past few years, she had been mourning what she lost. What could've been. What should've been. But maybe her life fell apart for a reason. Maybe something better was in store for her. But she would never know if she didn't make an attempt to move past the emotional pain she endured. It was easier said than done but she owed it to herself.

"You're right," Alyssa said after a few seconds of silence.

"Of course I am. When am I not?" Cameron smirked. She grabbed two champagne flutes from a waiter that walked past them and handed one to Alyssa. "So I propose a toast: To you having fun and letting loose. And getting that fine ass Samoan adonis to ask you out before the night is over."

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder towards Roman again before smiling and turning back around to face Cameron. She clinked her glass with hers. "Cheers to that."

* * *

"Dude are you gonna talk to her or are you gonna continue to stand over here like a punk ass and glare at her all night?" Seth asked taking a nonchalant sip of his beer.

Seth's voice caused Roman to tear his eyes away from Alyssa and stare at his friend who cynically yawned in his hand. "I don't know what to say."

"Lemme get this straight. Roman Reigns, cousin of the charismatic The Rock, Samoan God with hair that would make Fabio jealous, that can have his pick of any diva in the locker room, doesn't know what to say to a makeup artist?" Dean asked, his attention focused on his cell phone. "Yeah dude. I totally understand your plight," he said sarcastically.

"I don't know. I just..she just...she's not..."

"Aww Dean he has a crush!" Seth clapped his hands together like a school girl causing Roman to clench his jaw muscles. "This is so adorable man. She got you stuttering and shit. I don't think I ever seen you like this."

"Yeah you actin like a pussy."

"Ambrose I'm gonna kick yo ass before the night is over," Roman threatened as he turned to face his friend.

"I'm just saying. Dude she's just a chick. At the end of the day they're the same: Two boobs one vagina. You know exactly how to make a woman putty in your hands so she should not have you this terrified. So grow some balls and make your move before some other man moves in on her. Because that hot piece of ass ain't gonna be too lonely for long."

Seth groaned and shook his head, disturbed but accustomed by Dean's blunt advice. "I think what Ambrose meant is that if you want her then you have to be a man and make the first move instead of standing over here looking at her like a sap. Hell she's probably nervous too and is waiting for you to approach her first."

Roman sighed softly. He knew they were right. Even Dean in his rude manner was right. He never acted this way around a woman. He always displayed a quiet confidence around them that made them melt at his feet and ultimately end up in his bed. But for some reason whenever he was around Alyssa, all of that confidence wilted away. She made his palms sweat. Made his heartbeat quicken. Made him unable to think of anything charming to say to her and just stare at her in silence. But it was time for him to regain some of that confidence.

Without another word, Roman left the other two Shield members and made his way to Cameron and Alyssa who were busy dancing to "Q.U.E.E.N." by Janelle Monae. He watched as the two friends giggled with each other, his eyes roaming over her body, his stare fixated on her slender legs. Once he reached the duo, he cleared his throat alerting them to his presence.

"Hi Roman," Cameron greeted, a smile on her face. "Glad to see you here."

"Hey how are ya Cameron." He turned his attention to Alyssa who smiled shyly once his gaze landed on her. "Hi Alyssa. You two ladies look nice tonight."

"You don't look too bad yourself," Alyssa replied as her eyes traveled over his attire before landing back on his face. Roman smirked.

"Well if y'all two excuse me I'm going to go over here and say hi to Alicia. Nice seeing you Roman."

Once Cameron disappeared, Roman moved closer to Alyssa and grabbed her elbow gesturing to a white love seat that sat off the dance floor, silently offering her a chance to sit down and rest her feet. Alyssa gladly accepted the offer and took a seat and crossed her legs as Roman sat next to her.

"So I see Cameron dragged you out of your hotel room?"

"Yeah she definitely wasn't taking no for an answer. She's just too damn persistent."

"Well I'm glad she forced you to come."

"Oh really? And why is that Mr. Reigns?" Alyssa asked with a teasing smile as she took a sip of her champagne.

"Because I get to spend the night talking to the most gorgeous woman in the room."

Alyssa blushed as she playfully batted her eyelashes. "Oh Roman I bet you tell all your women that."

Roman chuckled and shook his head. "Now what did I tell you earlier? I'm single. I don't have a woman. Or women as you put it."

"Hmm. I find that hard to believe but if you say so."

"And why would you find that hard to believe?" Roman asked his brow raised curiously.

"I mean look at you. You're one of the best looking men in the locker room and from what I hear from the divas most of them are enthralled by you and would do anything to end up in your bed."

"Soooooo you think I'm good looking?" Roman asked with a smirk causing Alyssa to chuckle and blush. "Honestly Alyssa I'm not going to sit up here and lie like I don't have a past and that I'm the perfect saint because that's far from the truth. I've had my fair share of flings. But lately, I've been growing weary of that type of lifestyle and I'm trying to mature."

"Why is that? You're becoming more popular in the WWE and you haven't even reached your peak. Most men would believe that that's the perfect time to have a little fun."

Roman nervously looked down at his hands. "I don't know. As I get older I just feel that it's time that I start thinking about settling down," Roman admitted. He looked into Alyssa's face waiting for her to laugh at him but she didn't. He continued. "I see Jimmy and Naomi who have been together for years and are finally getting ready to walk down the aisle and it makes me yearn for that. I try to play the shit off but I can't deny that deep down that's what I hope to find someday. I'm not saying I want to marry somebody tomorrow but I think it's time that I start dating women that could possibly fit that role."

"So whatcha trying to tell me? Summer Rae doesn't fit that role?" Alyssa asked with a teasing smirk causing Roman to to give her a side eye.

"You're hilarious. But no she doesn't. She doesn't even come close to the type of woman that I believe can fit that role."

"So what type of woman do you think could?"

"Somebody that can actually hold a decent conversation with me and not bore me. Somebody that doesn't allow me to walk all over them and stands her ground but still allows me to be a man. A woman that actually has a plan for her future and isn't satisfied with complacency. Somebody that carries herself like a lady in public while not being frigid in the bedroom. Somebody that would be worthy of meeting my parents one day."

Alyssa patted Roman's hand comfortingly. "Well I hope that you find that woman."

"You never know. I may have already found her," Roman simply said as he held onto her hand, his gray eyes locking with her brown ones. He bit his bottom lip as a deep blush decorated Alyssa's cheek again, the smirk on her lips transforming into a wide grin.

"You don't even know me."

"But based off the few encounters we've had I just get this feeling that I'm onto something. I don't know about you but I can't get the night we talked to each other at Jimmy & Naomi's engagement party out of my mind even if it was only for a few minutes. I can't put my finger on it. But there's something about you Alyssa that fascinates me. I don't mean to be too forward but that's how I honestly feel."

Alyssa nodded her head, slowly digesting Roman's words as she felt her stomach flutter at Roman's touch, her fingers absentmindedly stroking the top of his hand. "I've been thinking about that night a lot too," she admitted causing Roman to internally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Look Alyssa I'm going to get straight to the point because I'm sure our friends are tired of us beating around the bush. I would like to get to know you better outside of work. Get to know the type of person you are and see if my gut feeling about you is right. So I was wondering if I could possibly take you out on a date?" he asked softly. "Nothing too fancy. But just something where we can spend some time to get to know each other without any distractions or other people there trying to play matchmaker."

Roman quietly held his breath as he watched Alyssa pull her hand back and rub her bare left ring finger, considering his request. A month ago he never would've thought that he, Roman Reigns, would be asking a woman out on a date. The old him didn't date women. He just had sex with them until he became tired of them and moved to his next conquest. But yet here he was. His logical side screamed at him that this wasn't a good idea. That he should try to make a connection with somebody that he didn't work with that was so close to the divas, some divas which he had flings with. This could very easily blow up in his face.

But those cynical thoughts left his mind as she grinned widely at him, nodding her head. "That sounds great," she responded allowing him to release the breath he was holding. He pumped his fist in the air causing her to laugh.

* * *

"You know you didn't have to walk me to my room Mr. Reigns," Alyssa said as the two stepped off the elevator and onto her floor. Roman shook his head as his hands sat in the pockets of his pants.

"I'm not trying to hear any of that. I'm just trying to be the perfect gentleman."

"Oh so you're just trying to protect me from any injustice that might come my way?" Alyssa playfully mocked causing Roman to laugh, his deep voice filling the empty hallway.

"That's one way to put it Miss Stewart."

Alyssa glimpsed at Roman, a curious gleam in her eye. "And how did you know my last name?"

Roman grinned shrugging his shoulders. "I have my sources. I guess I know a little more about you than you thought huh?"

"Mmmhmm. I guess so." The two arrived at her room. "Well thank you for keeping me company tonight at the party."

"No problem gorgeous. I told you earlier you would end up spending the entire night with me at the party. Don't even try to act like you didn't like spending time with me either," Roman said, his crooked grin still intact on his countenance.

Alyssa rolled her eyes playfully as she opened her door, holding it open with her foot. "I mean you were aiight. Nothing too spectacular," Alyssa joked. She giggled when Roman gave her a lighthearted death glare out the corner of his eye. "Well I guess I'll see you later Mr. Reigns."

Roman & Alyssa fell silent, neither sure of how to end the night. Roman made the first move as he decreased the space between their bodies, locking eyes with her. His hand reached out and rubbed her bare arm causing goosebumps to quickly form. He leaned forward and placed his lips on her forehead, pecking her softly before backing away.

"You definitely will Miss Stewart," he said softly before turning on his heel and walking towards the elevator.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! Now it's starting to get to the good stuff. It's kinda long so kick back, relax, read&review!**

* * *

"What the hell took you so long?!" Alyssa exclaimed as she swung open the door to her room, quickly turning on her heel and walking back into the room.

Naomi's eyes bucked open at her friend's outburst as she eyed the chaos that occupied her hotel room. There were clothes tossed all around the room, some on the bed, some on the floor, some on the dresser. Alyssa frantically rushed from the bathroom and back into the bedroom wearing nothing but her robe and rollers in her hair, crazily brushing her teeth and mumbling to herself.

"Damn," Naomi muttered, appalled at the mess. Alyssa was typically a neat and organized person so having her room in this condition wasn't expected. "Um...hello to you too Alyssa."

"Where the hell is Cameron?" Alyssa asked, rushing back into the bathroom.

"She left to go back home before the next show."

"FUCK!" Alyssa screamed as she came back in the bedroom, her toothbrush no longer dangling from her mouth. She wished she could've did the same as Cameron and went home and had the date back in Tampa but it was more convenient for both Roman & her to have the date in California before they left for the next city the next day. "The one time I need her flaunt it if you got it fashion advice she's nowhere to be seen."

"Well you could always call."

Alyssa exhaled and shook her head, waving the suggestion off. "That won't help at all! I'm a fuckin mess. Maybe I should just call Roman and reschedule." Alyssa reached for her iPhone.

Naomi walked up to her friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Alyssa you gotta calm down girl! Chill the fuck out and take a seat!" She pushed her onto the bed. "Now inhale. Exhale. And breathe before you give yourself a damn migraine."

Alyssa inhaled deeply as she silently counted to 10 with her eyes closed before opening them back up. "I have nothing to wear," she murmured causing Naomi to smack her lips.

"You the girl that shops every single damn day has nothing to wear?"

"It's true! All my clothes are back home. And then I went shopping today but the shit I bought I don't even like. And I don't even know where Roman is taking me. And you know how I hate not being dressed appropriately for the occasion. What if I show up in a tutu and he shows up in basketball shorts? Or he shows up in a tux and I pop up in leggings?" Alyssa placed her head in her hands. "This shit is stressful."

Naomi glanced at her friend before laughing loudly. Alyssa's head shot up and she looked at Naomi out the corner of her eye, her lips pursed together in a frown. "And what is so funny heffa?"

"Girl you are! I can't believe that you're stressing this much out over your first date with Roman. Over what you're going to wear at that. Girl it's not that serious or stressful. You're making it that way. Calm the fuck down and tell me the real reason why you're upset."

"I don't know..it's just...this is my first, first date in like a really long time Naomi. Everything has to be perfect. I just want it to be perfect. I just...I just want Roman to like me," Alyssa admitted with a sigh.

Naomi sighed as she stood up, beginning to pick Alyssa's clothes off the floor and dresser. "Girl first of all he already likes you. You can see it by the way he stares at you with those weird, creepy, sexy gray eyes whenever you come around or how his voice get all deep like this when he talk to you," Naomi said imitating Roman's deep voice. "Second of all an outfit is not gonna make or break whether he likes you. And if it does, he wasn't going to like you anyway if you know what I mean."

Alyssa laughed as she stood up, grabbing a cobalt blue sleeveless blouse from Naomi's hand and laying it neatly on her bed. She turned around before grabbing pair of ankle skinny jeans and laying it next to the pants, finally deciding what to wear for her date. "You're right. I'm just psyching myself out. I need to relax and have fun."

"Exactly. And then you need to come home and tell me all of the juicy details," Naomi said making Alyssa laugh again. "But for real. I just want you to relax and have fun Alyssa. I know how you are. You worry about shit that is out of your control. But tonight just sit back and let him take the lead role. After the shit you've been through, you deserve to have some fun. Promise me that you'll do that?"

Alyssa nodded her head and she hugged Naomi, a small tear trailing down her face. Naomi and Cameron were there by her side when everything in her life seemed to fall apart so they knew more than anybody how much this date was more than just a date for Alyssa. It was also a step closer to getting over the drama that engulfed her life over the course of a few years. A step closer to a new beginning. It was her time to finally move on and she definitely wasn't trying to fuck it up.

"Now, stop ya crying and let's start getting you ready," Naomi said as she pulled away from the hug. "Because it's my best friend duty to make sure you don't leave this hotel room looking a hot ass mess. Cameron wouldn't let either of us hear the end of it if that shit happened."

* * *

Roman wiped his sweaty palm on his khaki pants, his left hand gripping the single red rose nervously. It seemed like the past few days passed by at a glacial pace but now he finally was standing outside of Alyssa's door to pick her up for their date. The past few days tortured Roman slowly. He couldn't wait to finish the tapings for Raw & Smackdown so he could go out with Alyssa and finally spend some alone time with her so he could get to know her better. Roman cleared his throat before he raised his fist and knocked on the door confidently, quietly reminding himself not to be the punk ass that Seth and Dean accused him of being.

A few seconds later the door opened revealing Alyssa who peaked her head out into the hallway, the door obstructing the rest of his view. "Hi," she greeted sweetly with a smile.

"Hi gorgeous. Am I too early?" he asked while handing her the flower.

Alyssa shook her head as she inhaled the scent of the flower, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "No. I'm just running a little bit late. But you can come in. I just have to grab my purse." Alyssa opened the door wider allowing Roman to come in as she scurried into the bathroom.

Roman shut the door behind him as he took a look around her hotel room, trying to decide where to take a seat.

"You know you can sit on the chair or the bed. I won't bite your head off if you do," she teased him as she walked back into the room with her purse. She glanced at the pair of khaki pants and a navy blue polo shirt with white stripes that he was wearing. "You look nice."

Roman chuckled as he turned to face Alyssa before inhaling sharply. The way the cobalt blue blouse looked against her caramel complexion mesmerized him. Her hair was wavy at the ends and pulled over into a side ponytail so her large gold hoop earrings could be the focal point. His eyes traveled down her body taking a mental picture at how her jeans accentuated her petite frame. After a few seconds of taking in her appearance, his eyes reached her face again, her brow raised in amusement.

"Something on your mind Mr. Reigns?" Alyssa asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Damn," Roman simply responded making Alyssa giggle.

"I take that as a compliment."

"You damn right. So are you ready Ms. Stewart?" Alyssa nodded her head as she looped her free arm with Roman's muscular tattooed arm as they exited her room.

* * *

"You're a fuckin pool shark!" Roman exclaimed making Alyssa laugh loudly as the solid colored ball easily slipped into the corner pocket. She glanced over her shoulder and pouted in his direction, placing her hand on her chest.

"Who me? Never! I never told you I didn't know how to play pool. You probably assumed that I didn't because I'm a woman."

"No, no, no." Roman wagged his finger at her. "You said, 'Oh I haven't played in a while. I may be a little rusty.' If this is rusty I would hate to see you on top of your game," he said as he gestured to her 1 remaining solid colored ball compared to his 6 striped balls.

"Or maybe I'm truly rusty and you were just exaggerating how great you are to impress me when you just plain suck," Alyssa teased causing Roman to gasp. She laughed harder.

"Ok you little comedian. Any other hidden talents you have that I should know about?" Roman asked as he bent over for his turn, one of his striped balls landing in the side pocket.

Alyssa cocked her head to the side. "Although I'm a big music junkie I suck at singing so if you wanted to try to beat me in karaoke you probably could. And I used to play basketball and volleyball when I was younger but I haven't played those in so long. So I guess I could let you win at those if you ever wanted to play," she said with a smirk. "What about you did you play any sports before wrestling?"

"Football. I was a defensive tackle. I was on a few NFL teams before going to the Canadian league. Nothing major."

"Oh really. Which NFL teams were you on?"

"Jaguars and the Vikings." He laughed as Alyssa scrunched up her nose. "See I told you nothing spectacular."

"I hate the Vikings," Alyssa said as she narrowly missed the far corner pocket.

"Why?" Roman asked.

"Well since I was born in Chicago I'm naturally a Bears fan. But at least you didn't play for Green Bay or else this wouldn't work out," Alyssa informed him with a grin making Roman chuckle.

"You sound like Seth. He's a Bears fan too. I would've never guessed you were a football fan or former athlethe."

"What can I say I'm just full of surprises Roman," Alyssa said with a sarcastic grin.

Roman nodded his head as he sat in the barstool next to Alyssa who was leaning back against the bar, slowly sipping her pop. He rested his pool cue next to him. "So what other surprises are you hiding about yourself Miss Stewart?"

Alyssa chuckled nervously and shook her head. "Nothing much to me. I'm 27. From Chicago. Moved to Tampa about 3 years ago. Youngest of two. I love music especially R&B and rap. I like to read and watch YouTube videos. And I might have a slight shopping addiction," Alyssa said with another chuckle. "I guess you can say I'm a girly girl but I'm kind of a tomboy too since I like watching sports and I used to play back when I was younger."

"So how does a self proclaimed tomboy end up doing hair and makeup for WWE?" Roman asked.

Alyssa snickered and shrugged her shoulders. "I ask myself that shit all the time to be honest. Back when I was younger I always watched WWE like during the Attitude Era and I was a big fan. So you would think I would end up being a wrestler but instead I ended up at cosmetology school when college didn't work out for me. I roomed with Naomi while I attended college before dropping out and one day there was a show in Chicago. So she got me a backstage pass since she knew I was a fan. I think the makeup artist got sick and couldn't do Ms. McMahon's makeup for a segment. So Naomi told Ms. McMahon that I could do it and she was so desperate she let me do it. I was so fuckin nervous and promised Naomi I would kick her ass for putting me on the spot like that. But I did it. I guess she was impressed with my work because a few days later I'm getting call with a job offer out the clear blue," Alyssa explained. "Other divas liked my worked and some calls were made requesting I do their makeup too and bam here I am," she finished with a laugh.

"So do you like the job?" Roman asked.

"I like the traveling part of it. I get to go to different places and see new things that I never thought I would be able to. As far as working with the divas...uh..." She trailed off making Roman laugh. "Let's just say I like some more than others." Alyssa looked up at Roman and bit her lip. "What about you? Tell me some things about the mysterious Roman Reigns."

Roman smirked. "Well I'm the youngest too. I have an older brother and three sisters. I'm extremely close to my parents and my family. Besides sports I like playing video games when I can. But with my schedule with WWE, that rarely happens."

"So do you like being a wrestler?"

"Shit I betta. Do you know how many people in my family were in this business? It's like this is in my blood. I couldn't see myself doing shit else. I've been working so hard these past few years I can definitely feel that it's about to pay off soon. I feel like I pretty much have everything I could possibly want."

"Pretty much?" Alyssa questioned, a curious glint in her eye.

"Yeah. Still need that special lady in my life," Roman answered as Alyssa shook her head. "What?"

"Maybe this is me being naive but..I don't know. After seeing you around backstage and on TV looking all aggressive and ruthless, I never thought that you would be so..."

"Gushy? Lovey dovey? Punk ass? Bitch made?" Roman and Alyssa laughed at the suggested adjectives he used.

"I think I was looking to say sweet actually. I know they say that cliche'd don't judge a book by its cover but seeing this side of you shocks me. In a good way but it still shocks me."

"So what type of man did you think I was?"

"Truthfully?" Alyssa asked. Roman nodded his head. "From what I've heard from the divas a playboy. Fuck them and leave them type. No time for these hoes. Let's just focus on this money and having fun. Gotta have multiple women on standby. From what I've seen on TV a brute enforcer. One that likes to inflict pain and gets some type of pleasure from inflicting pain."

"I don't know if I should be proud of the job I've done portraying my character on TV or if I should be hurt that you would think that what the divas say about me backstage is completely factual."

Alyssa lightly slapped her forehead and shook her head. "Please don't be hurt by it. To be honest that's just me being a negative bitch. I tend to believe the worst about people until they prove me wrong so I won't be disappointed. I'm trying to stop doing that but it takes some time. That's why I keep to myself and really don't interact with people because I'm always trying to figure out their motives."

"I've noticed that about you. That's why I've never approached you before because I thought you were standoffish. I've seen you around backstage before we ran into each other that night," Roman revealed causing Alyssa's eyes to slightly widen. "The few times I did see you I wanted to say something to you but you seemed like you were in your own world and didn't want to be bothered. And I wasn't trying to get screamed at if I did approach you so I just stayed away," Roman conceded.

Alyssa chuckled softly. "Funny. That's what I assumed about you as well. I assumed that you were so focused on work that you wouldn't want anybody to disturb you. And I heard that you weren't really a talkative person so I always told myself to stay out your way before you spear the shit outta me." She shot him a tiny smile. "So why did you decide to make a move at the party?"

Roman shrugged, not really sure what made him approach Alyssa. "I guess I saw an opportunity and I took it. I kinda took it as a sign that you were there after we ran into each other at the taping. That night when you walked in, something in my mind told me that there was something special about you. Like I told you lately I've been thinking about how tired I am of this playboy, heartthrob lifestyle. The shit was fun back when I was younger. But now I'm 28. I'm about to be 30 with no kids, no wife, nothing but my career. And while I love my career all this shit could be gone tomorrow you know?" It was more of a statement than a question. He looked at Alyssa to see that she was staring at him intently, her leg slightly grazing his. "Sorry if I'm boring you."

Alyssa shook her head. "Nope not at all. It's refreshing to hear someone talk about building a future outside of this business. I think sometimes we as people are too complacent with what we currently have and that stops us from wanting better. It's ok to be thankful for what we have and not take it for granted but at the same time you want to make sure that each day you're alive you're making strides to mature and improve. I understand exactly what you're saying."

A small smile spread across Roman's lips. "I'm glad I could open up to you about this. Unfortunately, a lot of people have the same idea about me that you first had. They see me as the enforcer for The Shield and think I'm like that in real life. Or they hear about my flings that I've had in the past with a few divas and they think all I care about is sex. So when I try to explain how I'm truly feeling, they just look at me like I'm crazy. Even Seth and Dean give me shit and I'm closer to them than anybody in that locker room. So I just learned to keep a lot of shit to myself."

"But that's not healthy Roman," Alyssa said with a frown. "I think if you feel like expressing yourself that you should. If you ever need somebody to talk to I'm here. You can always talk to me." She reached out and rubbed his arm comfortingly. "I really mean that."

A jolt of energy surged through Roman's body as he felt her hand on his sleeve length tribal tattoo. He grabbed her hand and held it for a few seconds, their eyes locking with each other. He stood up and helped her to her feet. "Let's get out of here and get something to eat," he said, not really in the mood for pool anymore. Alyssa nodded her head in agreement before the two walked towards the exit.

* * *

Alyssa smirked as she watched Roman sign an autograph for a little boy as she slowly ate her cup of chocolate ice cream while sitting on the bench outside the hotel. She had an early flight the next day to the next city on the schedule but she didn't want this date to end yet. After grabbing a bite to eat at the pool hall, the two ended up buying a few cups of ice cream from Walgreen's and decided to eat them while sitting outside the hotel for a few more minutes.

As the excited young boy left with his father, Roman turned around and shot her an apologetic smile as he took a seat next to her on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize," Alyssa said with a shake of her head. "Seeing you interact with that little kid showed me how great you are with kids. Something else I wouldn't have guessed."

Roman shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I learned something from being around my nieces and nephews. They're getting me prepared for when I finally have a child so I won't be so lost. What about you? Are you great with kids too?"

Alyssa's eyes slightly darkened as she shook her head. "Not really. But I think it's great that a WWE superstar like yourself still finds the time for the younger fans," she said, quickly changing the subject.

Roman scooped his vanilla ice cream from the cup and placed the cold treat in his mouth. "I'm not a superstar," he responded once he swallowed the ice cream.

"Yet. You're not a superstar yet. But I'm pretty sure you will be before it's all said and done." Alyssa turned slightly and placed her hand on the side of her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I had a wonderful time tonight Roman," she said looking into his gray eyes.

Roman turned his head to stare at her and nodded, his orbs focusing in on her lips. "I did too. I'm glad we got to get to know each other a little better. I must confess though. I really want to go out with you again so I can spend more time with you."

Alyssa grinned, silently admitting to herself that she couldn't wait to spend more time with him either. Now that he opened up to her and started to show her the person he truly was, she was definitely interested in spending more time with him and hopefully building a friendship that could ultimately develop into a relationship. "I would like that. But I have a confession too."

"Oh really?" Roman raised his brow, a smirk creeping onto his face. "And what's that gorgeous?"

Alyssa inhaled deeply as she looked down at her empty cup of ice cream, nervously fiddling with her spoon. "I don't want to go back to my room without kissing you," she said softly, her gaze still avoiding his.

Roman's eyes slightly widened at Alyssa's bold confession. He had to admit he had been thinking about kissing her since he first got to her room earlier that night but didn't know if she would be open to the idea. But now that he knew Alyssa wanted the same thing he did, he would be only right for him to oblige her.

Roman placed his cup of ice cream on the bench and scooted closer to Alyssa. He placed his index finger underneath her chin and lifted her head so that they could lock eyes with each other, sincerity and nervousness shining in her brown orbs. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and slowly pulled her face closer to his, their lips hovering over the other's inches apart. He licked his lips before leaning in and softly pecking her lips once. He pulled away slowly, looking for a sign that she changed her mind and wanted him to stop. But once she nodded her head, he pulled her back to him and kissed her again. His palm grazed the side of her face softly as her hands wrapped around his neck, her small hand tangling in his long black hair causing him to deepen the kiss. He felt the heat in the pit of his stomach intensify as Alyssa moaned quietly in his mouth, parting her lips a little. Roman slipped his tongue in her mouth and wrestled with hers for a few seconds as his thumb softly rubbed the nape of her neck. Roman removed his tongue and eased his mouth closed, pecking her lips again.

Alyssa opened her eyes as she felt the tingling sensation course through her body, her chest rising with each breath she took. Roman's hand was still resting on the back of her head and her own arms were wrapped around his neck, her fingers lightly running through his long black hair.

"Damn," she breathed out making both of them smirk.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I was going to wait to post this but I'm ready to get to the good stuff! Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. They are great motivation for me and are very appreciated! As always, please R&R!**

* * *

"So you mean you didn't get any ass whatsoever? What's the point of taking a chick out on a date without getting ass?" Dean asked with a dumbfounded look on his face making Seth shake his head with a chuckle.

Roman rolled his grey eyes as he applied the wrist wraps to his wrists, dressed in his all black ring attire. His few off days flew by and he was back ready to get into action at a WWE house show. As he tried to mentally prepare himself for the match he and Seth had with his cousins, The Usos, his two stable mates continued to nag him for details of his date. To which he simply replied, "It was nice." He definitely didn't want those two to know every detail of his date with Alyssa. That was information that only they should be privy to.

"You know Ambrose everything isn't about sex," Roman grumbled tossing the wrist wraps into his gym bag.

Dean scoffed and shook his head in disagreement. He opened his mouth to offer another snide remark but closed it once he saw the death glare Roman shot his way. He held his hands up in surrender. "Ok. Whatever you say man."

Seth shook his head, wondering why the hell Dean didn't have a filter that normal people had. He looked up from lacing his combat boots and looked at Roman. "So what's the next move?" he asked his friend.

Roman shrugged. "I already told her I wanted to spend more time with her and get to know her. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens." He stood up and twisted his head to the side, slowly sliding into his character pushing any thoughts he had about Alyssa and their date from his mind. He grabbed his tag team title belt from the seat next to him. "Let's go do this and kick my cousins' asses," he said to Seth.

Seth nodded his head as he grabbed his own title before following Roman & Dean out the locker room.

* * *

20 minutes later after a successful title defense that concluded once he speared both his cousins at once, Roman strolled through the halls of the arena. He changed into a pair of sweat pants and a black t-shirt, his raven locks still draping down his back. He stopped in his tracks once he heard laughter and peaked around the corner to see Alyssa sitting in a chair, her hand covering her face as Naomi and Cameron giggled loudly.

"Roman and Alyssa sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g," The Funkadactlys sang causing Roman to chuckle softly. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes-"

"Alyssa beating both y'all asses if y'all don't shut the hell up," she threatened her hand still covering her face causing them both to laugh harder. A smile appeared on Roman's face at her feisty snark, a trait of hers that he was quickly becoming fond of. "I swear I should've blocked y'all number like I said I was gonna do back in LA."

"Oh girl shut up. I think it's cute. See I know a love connection when I see it. I could see it when y'all were acting shy around each other at Axxess and the way y'all were staring at each other dreamily at the Summerslam party." Cameron nodded her head as she brushed an imaginary piece of dirt off her shoulder, happy she had a hand in pushing Roman & Alyssa together. "Yep y'all got it bad for each other," she concluded as Naomi nodded her head in agreement.

"Look there is no love connection. Roman and I went on a date and had a great time. But now it's back to reality. He probably is going to be busy with work as will I so we probably won't even see each other much." She shrugged her shoulders. "It is what it is. But I'm not going to start swooning over him and planning our wedding and picking out our kids' names after one date."

Roman's smile slowly fell as he heard Alyssa's words. How could she think that he quickly forgot about her after the time that they had? Truth be told he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't stop thinking about how easy it was to open up to her about things he constantly thought about. Or how her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at him straight on or out the corner of her eye when she thought he didn't notice. And he definitely couldn't forget how soft her lips felt against his and how he couldn't wait to kiss her again. He was being completely honest when he told Alyssa that he wanted to spend some more time with her so they could get to know each other better. But she had to be willing to do the same.

"So you saying you wanna have his babies? I think y'all will make cute curly haired babies," Naomi teased causing Cameron to giggle. Alyssa exhaled and shook her head.

"You two bitches are insufferable," she mumbled. More giggles escaped the divas' lips.

Roman stepped from behind the wall that concealed him and boldly walked towards the three women. He softly cleared his throat alerting them to his presence. They looked up at the wrestler and the two divas grin widely while Alyssa shot him a nervous smile.

"Ladies," he acknowledged the two divas with a smirk before turning around and looking into Alyssa's twinkling brown eyes, instantly biting his bottom lip.

"Hiiii Romaaaaannnn," Cameron and Naomi greeted in a sing song voice making Alyssa roll her eyes again.

"So how was y'all date Roman?" Cameron asked making Alyssa cut her eyes at her friend.

"Don't y'all got a match or something?" Alyssa asked through gritted teeth, her cheeks turning a rosy color from embarrassment.

Naomi grabbed Cameron by her wrist and started pulling her away from the duo, knowing Alyssa was very close to snapping on Cameron. "Yeah we do have to go get ready. Alyssa we'll see you later at the hotel," she tossed over her shoulder as her and Cameron giggled some more while they walked down the hall, leaving Roman and Alyssa alone.

Alyssa shot their retreating forms a death glare before returning her attention to Roman. "Hi," she said softly, twirling a strand of her hair that was gathered into a ponytail on her index finger.

Before she knew it, Roman's lips were pressed against hers in a kiss. Her arms slowly snaked around his neck as his wrapped around her small waist, holding her in place. He became dizzy as his lips sampled the sweet cupcake like taste of Alyssa's gloss. Roman groaned inwardly when her lips parted partially, his tongue slowly sneaking into her awaiting mouth as Alyssa's fingertips lazily caressed his muscular back through his t-shirt. They slowly pulled apart as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Hi," he finally responded, his voice low and husky.

"How long have you been standing there?" Alyssa asked causing Roman's brow to lift. "A woman always knows Roman. Don't try to deny it."

He laughed, the sound sending tingles through Alyssa's body. "Ok you caught me but only for a few minutes."

"So you saw my friends giving me shit about you. See what I gotta deal with? I'm so beating their ass," she said with a chuckle of her own.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, Dean and Seth are being nosey as hell and annoying the fuck outta me too. So I kinda feel your pain." The two fell silent as Roman released Alyssa from his grasp and leaned back on the vanity table in front of her, folding his arms across his broad chest. "So I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Cameron and Naomi. You thought I would forget about you?"

Alyssa sighed softly and looked down at her intertwining fingers, squirming under his gaze. "Well not forget. But be more focused on work now that we're back on the road. I don't or wouldn't blame you if that's the case. I know how excited you are about your hard work starting to pay off."

"That's true I am. But Alyssa I told you that I wanted to continue to build my connection with you and I stand by that. I think I'm capable of doing that and focusing on my career. But if you don't want the same then-"

"It's not that!" Alyssa interrupted her head jerking upward and looking into Roman's face. She pensively nibbled her lip as she thought of a way to express her feelings without upsetting him. She tilted her head sideways, taking a mental picture of how handsome he was even with a scruffy beard that needed to be trimmed and his wet and wild hair. "It's just I didn't want to start getting ahead of myself after one date. I didn't want to start thinking that this was the beginning of a whirlwind romance between us. I feel that if I keep my expectations realistic that I leave less opportunity for me to be hurt or disappointed. But I do want the same thing that you want." She reached out and grabbed Roman's large hand, her small one fitting neatly inside of his. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since our date," she revealed with a shy smile.

A wide, goofy grin appeared on Roman's face causing Alyssa to giggle. "Me neither," he said softly, pushing his black hair away from his face.

"But Roman you have to be honest with me." Alyssa took a deep breath. "What's next for us..well me and you?" she asked, not knowing if she could refer to the two of them as 'us' just yet.

Roman traced small circles on the back of Alyssa's hand, his calloused finger tips offering a contrast to her soft skin. He too wondered where they could possibly go after having a wonderful date. He didn't want to scare Alyssa away but he didn't want her to think that he wasn't interested either. He definitely had to tread lightly. "Well we take our time to get to know each other and see what happens. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible and I don't want to try to force anything. I want everything to develop naturally between us whether we end up as a couple or whether we just remain friends. Is that fine with you?"

Alyssa nodded her head as she stood up and hugged Roman, her head resting on his chest. The fact that they were both on the same page was refreshing and she was happy they had conversation before things went further. She inhaled the fresh Downy smell of his freshly clean t-shirt as his head rested on top of hers after he placed a soft kiss in her hair. They stood in the embrace for a few seconds before Roman's cell phone started to vibrate his pocket. Roman mumbled, agitated that his moment with Alyssa was interrupted. He pulled the phone out and glanced at the text message he received.

"Lemme guess. One of the guys?"

"Yep. We're going out for drinks with some of the other wrestlers," he answered as Alyssa's arms dropped to her side. She nodded her head while stepping back from him.

"Yeah I should start packing up my stuff and head back to the hotel. I gotta finish helping Naomi plan this joint bachelorette/bachelor party trip to Miami before I get ready for my flight tomorrow. Did Jimmy invite you?" she asked, her tone hopeful.

"Yeah I'll be there. Jimmy made me agree months ago. I'm honestly looking forward to the small break. It's well needed. But now it'll be even better because I'll get to see you in a bikini," Roman said with a smirk, rubbing his hands together as Alyssa blushed. He pushed himself off the vanity and placed his hands in his pockets. "Well I guess I should go before Dean & Seth start bitching about me holding them up." He leaned down and pecked Alyssa's lips softly. "I'll see you later gorgeous," Roman whispered before turning around and walking down the corridor.

* * *

Alyssa walked down the hallway of the arena as a scattering of backstage employees packed up the equipment that was used for the house show that would be needed for the next show on the schedule. Her own items were packed and loaded into her rental car and now she just needed to find Cameron so they could head back to the hotel. As she wandered the halls, her mind couldn't help but drift to Roman.

A small smile appeared on her countenance as her fingertips touched her lips. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him and that he captivated her. Not only was it refreshing for her to learn that there was more to him than what she saw on television or heard from the divas backstage, it was also something about the way he stared at her. Roman's stare wasn't simply filled with only lust but it was more so a stare as if he adored her although they only knew each other for a short amount of time. His stare instantly caused butterflies to appear in her stomach and made her legs feel like they were made of Jello. Alyssa chuckled softly, chiding herself for acting like a teenage girl with a crush. But she had to admit she did like the feeling.

As Alyssa rounded the corner, she grimaced slightly as she collided with a body, her daydream quickly ending as she crashed back down to reality. She glanced up at the person she ran into an apologetic smile on her face.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry."

"Yes you surely are sorry Melissa," Summer Rae hissed tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder as she straightened her body.

"It's Alyssa," Alyssa corrected with an undetectable roll of the eyes. After her interaction with Summer Rae at Jimmy & Naomi's engagement party, Alyssa hadn't ran into her and she couldn't be happier. Although Alyssa made it a point to be civil with everybody she worked with, there was something about the way Summer Rae carried herself that rubbed Alyssa the wrong way.

Alyssa made a move to step around Summer Rae when Summer Rae stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Alyssa looked up and raised her eyebrow curiously. "May I help you?"

"Yes ALYSSA you certainly can help me. You can stay away from my man."

"Excuse me? Who is your man?"

"Roman is my man. He's mine. Everybody backstage knows he's mine yet here you come prancing in and trying to create a rift between us. I'm warning you to back off or there will be problems."

Alyssa bit her bottom lip as she counted to ten in an effort to refrain from snapping on Summer Rae. This definitely wasn't the time nor place for her anger to be unleashed on the diva. Especially over something so trivial as a man that wasn't hers. She shook her head with an amused smirk on her face. "Your man? Last time I checked he was telling me that you meant nothing to him and you were just a quick nut and that he was **single**. So if you have problems with me interacting with Roman, you should take it up with him like a **woman** instead of approaching me."

Summer Rae giggled condescendingly as she patted Alyssa's shoulder causing Alyssa to shrug her hand off of her. "Aw sweetie that's so cute that you think that I mean nothing to him. If I mean nothing to him then why does he constantly show up at my room after every show to spend time with me? Not you. Just face it. You and Roman just don't mesh well together. You're a makeup artist after all," Summer Rae said with disdain dripping from her voice. "Roman and I will end up being the faces of this company after a few years making the WWE millions and you will still be stuck back here working your irrelevant job. Get out while you still can before you get hurt. Do you think you can handle a real man like Roman? I mean you two have nothing in common and he'll get tired of you quickly. You're just another one of his conquests and you're definitely not any competition to me."

Alyssa smirked as she stepped closer to Summer Rae, her attempt to remain calm now aborted. "Look here **sweetie** Roman is a grown man. Therefore it's completely up to him who he dates, fucks, sucks, and whatever else he wants to do. So if he decides to pick you then good job! You've snatched up a winner that can help carry you to the status that you want so bad because you damn sure can't do that on your own. But let's be honest here shall we? You and I both know Roman isn't coming to your room every single night especially not last night since we were out on a date. And if I wasn't competition and if you aren't so worried about me, then why are you all in my face ordering me to stay away from Roman?" Alyssa asked her smirk transforming into an arrogant grin. As Summer Rae parted her lips to respond, Alyssa held up her hand inches away from her face. "As far as I'm concerned you know deep down inside that Roman actually likes me and not you. And that pisses you off because within a limited time I've been able to develop a connection with Roman that you haven't been able to do within the past year because not only do we have more in common than you and him will ever have, he doesn't think nothing more of you than a piece of ass. Now if you're done being pathetic, I have some place to be."

Alyssa stepped around Summer Rae and sauntered down the hallway, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she clenched her fists together quickly at her sides. She counted to ten once again to slow her breathing. She was proud of herself for handling Summer Rae without resorting to violence or yelling at her. The fact that the diva had the nerve to think she could order Alyssa to back off of Roman was completely comical and sad to her. But she knew in the pit of her stomach that this was only the beginning of Summer Rae's meddling in her life.

* * *

**A/N: Let the drama begin...**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: After seeing my boo Reigns win last night on Raw I thought it would be appropriate for me to post this. I just want to take time to thank EVERYBODY for the love this story is receiving thus far. Whether you're following the story, adding it to your favorites, or reviewing it, I appreciate it all. I also have to give a special thanks to those who have reviewed pretty much every chapter. It makes me beam with gratitude to see writers that have written stories that I've enjoyed myself to review my story as well. But enough of my babbling, enjoy the quite lengthy chapter. :-)**

* * *

"HEY GIRL HEY!" Cameron exclaimed loudly as she ran towards Alyssa, her breasts bouncing in her skimpy bikini top.

Alyssa laughed as she shook her head, setting her carry-on bag on the marble floor of the hotel suite as Cameron engulfed her body in a hug, nearly knocking Alyssa off her feet. A few months later and she was finally in Miami for Naomi & Jimmy's joint bachelorette/bachelor party trip for a well deserved and rare mini vacation. Alyssa perched her cat eye sunglasses on top of her head as she stepped into the master suite and nodded her head in approval. The suite was very spacious and had a balcony that overlooked the ocean and South Beach strip. It also included a bar area in the common room which housed some of Naomi & Jimmy's friends/co-workers which included Tamina, Kaitlyn, AJ, Brie Bella, Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, and Big E. Langston. Although it was only 11 in the morning, loud music played as the liquor flowed freely creating a party atmosphere.

"Don't you think it's a little bit too early for this?" Alyssa asked as Naomi walked up to her and handed her a margarita glass. She greeted her friend with a smile.

Cameron smacked her lips. "It's never too early! We're in Miami to have fun girl! Now stop being lame and go change into your bikini so we can hit the beach and meet some cuties!" she ordered Alyssa before playfully slapping her on the butt. Naomi laughed at the mortified expression on Alyssa's face as she grabbed her carryon and walked into one of the empty bedrooms.

After changing into her blue and white polka dot bikini, Alyssa stepped back into the common area, sipping on her margarita and smiled when she saw Roman walking in with Jimmy's brother, Jey. Roman's eyes landed on her as he talked to Cody Rhodes and he smirked when he saw her, his eyes widening at the sight of her in her bikini. Alyssa blushed as he winked at her before returning his attention back to his conversation.

"You bet not let Cameron see that or she will embarrass you in front of everybody with her drunk ass. You know how she can be," Naomi warned her best friend as she appeared at Alyssa's side, dressed in a zebra print one piece.

"I know right. But I don't think I'll have to worry about Miss Cameron this weekend," Alyssa said as she gestured to Cameron talking to Big E. Langston. Naomi and Alyssa shook their head as they shared a knowing look before bursting into laughter.

"So I know we haven't had girl time in a minute since I've been busy with the wedding plans but how are things with you and Roman?" Naomi asked Alyssa, gesturing towards Roman with her head. The two friends sat on the couch that faced the balcony, causing Alyssa to slip her sunglasses over her eyes to protect them from the bright sunlight.

Ever since Alyssa and Roman's first date a few months ago, they had stayed true to their word and were inching closer to each other while taking things slowly. After a few more dates in that time span, the two became more comfortable with the other as they started to learn more about each other. Although she would never admit it openly, Alyssa was happy that Cameron & Naomi convinced her to take a chance with Roman. She was beginning to see that underneath the playboy persona and bruiser mentality he developed over the years, he was actually a sweetheart. It warmed her to her core that she was the only one that saw that side of him. IIt had also been a while since Alyssa's confrontation with Summer Rae. Since then, the leggy diva didn't approach Alyssa but she knew it was simply the calm before the storm.

"Everything's fine. Great even," Alyssa divulged after she took another sip of her margarita. "We're just taking things slow. You know me. Always the cautious one."

Naomi nodded her head, knowing Alyssa's prudent approach with her love life was just a part of her personality and wouldn't change any time soon. Naomi definitely couldn't blame her given the events that recently transpired in her love life. "I know. As long as you're not preventing yourself from being happy that's all I care about. And if Roman fuck up lemme know and I'll handle it. Future cousin in law or not, nobody fucks with my best friend." Naomi pounded her fist into the palm of her hand to emphasize her point.

Alyssa chuckled at Naomi's protective nature, a trait she was known for since their college days. She grabbed Naomi's wrist. "I'll make sure I do that. But girl go back to your fiancee. This is your weekend to have fun not a weekend to worry about me. So go back that ass up on Jimmy girl."

Naomi smiled and giggled as she stood from the couch and made her way over to Jimmy, passing Roman on the way who by now had changed into a white tank top and swimming trunks, a beer in his hand. Roman took a seat next to Alyssa as his eyes roamed over her body for a few seconds. Alyssa watched as his gaze remained steady on her hips before landing back on her face as he shook his head.

"Damn," he muttered with a tiny smirk making Alyssa blush and snicker, the simple reply reminding her of their first kiss on their first date.

"My thoughts exactly, Mr. Reigns," Alyssa said as her slender fingers traced the intricate detailing on his tribal tattoo. A shiver traveled down her spine as she looked at his muscular arms bulging underneath his top, his facial hair neatly trimmed, and his raven locks pulled into a low ponytail. She squirmed in her seat as she found it hard not to pull his face close to hers and plant a kiss on him. "So I take it you like what you see?"

"Hell yeah. Oh and you look nice too Alyssa," Roman joked. Alyssa slapped him in the chest playfully causing him to laugh heartily as he grabbed her hand. "I'm just playing gorgeous. You already know I've been looking forward to seeing you in a bikini for a while. And I can see my imagination did you no justice. You look amazing," Roman complimented, his tongue wetting his lips.

"Thanks you look alright yourself," she replied with a grin.

Roman chuckled. "How was your flight?" he asked as he held onto her hand, squeezing it softly as both his and her hands sat between them.

"I wouldn't know. I slept the entire way here. Just trying to get over the jet lag now so Cameron won't yell at me for being lame." She glanced at Roman's face through her shades. He reached forward and removed the glasses from her face so he could look in her eyes before biting his bottom lip.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your eyes?"

Alyssa shook her head shyly as she held Roman's stare. "Says the person who has grey colored eyes. Mine are just a boring old dark brown."

"But they're so expressive and they add some type of mysterious innocence to you," Roman complimented as he watched Alyssa's face turn red. "I don't know about you but I wanna slip away and just spend some time with you. Alone."

The warm flush from her cheeks ran through Alyssa's body as she nodded her head, eager to disappear with Roman for a few hours. Although it was her priority to spend this weekend with her friends, she was definitely interested in spending some alone time with Roman. She leaned closer to Roman, her lips barely touching his ear lobe. "Let's get outta here."

* * *

An hour later, Roman and Alyssa strolled alongside each other on the beach after leaving the quaint Cuban restaurant they had lunch at, looking for the rest of the group on the beach. Their arms slightly grazed each other's as their fingers lazily intertwined while they walked in silence, their feet sinking into the warm sand.

"So I have a question," Roman said suddenly, interrupting the silence between the two. Alyssa shot him a puzzled look as she took a sip of her drink from Wet Willie's.

"And what is that Roman?"

"Why don't you ever talk about your family? During these past few months we've talked about ourselves and things we like, don't like, and our hobbies. I feel like we're getting more comfortable around each other. But you've never talked about your family. Why is that?"

Alyssa removed her suddenly sweaty hand from Roman's and wiped it on her yellow maxi dress coverup. It was true that she was careful with the details she revealed about her family to Roman because in her eyes they weren't her real family. The only family she had was Naomi and Cameron. Her family was a topic that she didn't want to discuss with her co-workers because her relationship with them, especially her mother, was less than ideal.

But as she looked into Roman's gray orbs she saw that he didn't regard her as just a co-worker. She was much more than that. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she knew that he was much more than that to her as well.

Alyssa paused and exhaled. "I have a brother and mother. My father died when I was younger. But I'm really not close to them though. Especially my mother."

"Why is that?" Roman asked.

"Well my brother is in the armed forces so I rarely see him. And with all the traveling I do, it's hard to stay in contact with him on a consistent basis. Unfortunately over the years we kinda drifted apart. As far as my mother, she hates every decision I make. Remember I told you I dropped out of college right? Well I was on track to become a doctor and was on my way to med school before I decided that it simply wasn't for me and I wanted to go to cosmetology school. She can't understand why I would give up saving lives and making a lot of money just to paint some women's faces and barely make money. She also hates that I work for the WWE. For one thing she doesn't see the appeal of the WWE and for another she's upset that I left her all alone in Chicago and I never come home although that's her fault as well. She thought that once my brother left, that I should've stayed in Chicago for her benefit although that would've made me unhappy. My mother doesn't support my dream and all she offers me is a migraine and a desire for a strong, stiff drink. So I've been the only person supporting myself for a while now whether it's emotionally or monetary. My family hasn't been there so in my eyes there's no reason to talk about them because I don't regard them as a family. Just people I'm related to."

Roman instantly felt sorry. He didn't mean to open up a sore subject for Alyssa. He constantly told her stories about his family and was honestly curious why she didn't do the same. But after seeing the look on her face while she explained the situation to him, he wanted to kick himself for bringing it up. "Alyssa I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok. Really it is. I'm used to it by now and I've accepted it as much as I can. As far as I'm concerned, Naomi & Cameron are my only family because they've been there for me when I needed them most. I try to not think of the issues I have with the woman that gave birth to me." Alyssa took a glimpse at Roman, his expression indifferent. "I know I haven't been forthcoming with every detail about my personal life. Since I've been on my own, I've been the type of person to keep my problems to myself. I internalize a lot of shit and handle it my own way. I never go around complaining about my family issues because I don't want any sympathy or pity from anybody. And I don't want anybody to use it as leverage against me. But Roman I don't want you to feel as if I'm being standoffish with you and cause you to lose interest in me. I've always been cautious. Before I can completely open up to a person, I have to make sure they can handle it appropriately. That's just the person I am."

Roman pulled his hand out of his pocket and grabbed Alyssa's hand again giving it a tight squeeze. "And who said I would lose interest in you? You can't get rid of me that easily gorgeous," he assured her with a caring smile. "I know it's a process for you to trust me because it's a process for me as well. Not only am I not the most talkative person, I'm used to not sharing shit about myself with women because I wasn't interested in that type of relationship with them in the past. I simply fucked them then dumped them when I got bored so I can understand where you're coming from. But I do remember you telling me on our first date that holding shit in wasn't healthy and that I could confide in you if I was upset about something. Well the same goes for you. I know you have Naomi and Cameron to confide in but I want you know that you have me too if you ever need me for support."

Alyssa smiled as Roman brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Within a brief period of time, Roman had already assumed the role of the protector in their courtship, a role that his on screen character thrived in as well. It was definitely a foreign concept to her. Ever since her father died when she was young, Alyssa didn't have that person that willingly protected her and wanted to support her not even within her own family. The fact that Roman was willing to be that person made the butterflies in her stomach flutter in her stomach quicker than they usually did whenever she was around him.

Alyssa ran her hand through her messy hair. "Since we're opening up to each other, I have a confession."

"And that would be?"

"I'm sure it's nothing that you should be concerned about and I wasn't even going to tell you because in my eyes it's not a big deal," Alyssa rambled. Roman shot her a sideways glance that encouraged her to get straight to the point. "But a while ago Summer Rae approached me and ordered me to stay away from you." She chuckled nervously trying to ease the tension. "She told me that I would never be the type of woman a man like you needs since I am merely a makeup artist and you'll end up being a big star in the WWE. She claimed that you belonged to her and y'all would end up being the it couple of the WWE."

Roman groaned as he ran his free hand over his face, shaking his head. He really thought Summer Rae had finally gotten the point that he wasn't interested in her but apparently that wasn't the case. "She's full of shit. There's no other way to put it really. But why weren't you gonna tell me?"

"Because I know dating a WWE superstar this type of shit comes with the territory. I know how some divas can become jealous and try to stir up shit. So I really wasn't tripping about it but I think this is something that you should know."

A tiny smile crept onto the corners of Roman's lips as the duo finally saw the other group of wrestlers a few feet away from them on the beach. He stopped walking causing Alyssa to stop in her tracks as well. He peered down at her, his grey eyes dancing with excitement. "So we're dating?" he asked.

"Um..uh..um," Alyssa stuttered, the fluttering in her stomach intensifying as her cheeks became hotter. Had she really blurted that out? How was she gonna get out of this one? "I mean we do go out on dates. So in essence that means we're dating right?" she chuckled awkwardly, not knowing exactly how to respond.

"Hey! Get y'all ass in this water and stop being so damn sappy!" Jimmy yelled interrupting Alyssa and Roman, yelping as Naomi punched him in the arm. The other members of the group laughed at his antics.

Alyssa exhaled dramatically, thankful for the interruption and wiped her forehead in relief. Roman laughed at the move. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "This conversation isn't over gorgeous," he whispered in her ear before grabbing her hand again and joining the rest of the group.

* * *

"So what were you and Roman so deep in conversation about earlier?" Cameron asked with a coy smile as she glanced up at Alyssa who was busy applying eyeliner to her eyes. The two ladies, along with Naomi, were busy getting ready for a night out on the town with the rest of the divas and wrestlers.

"Mind your business and shut up before I accidentally poke you in the eye with this pencil," Alyssa playfully threatened. By the time everybody returned to the hotel from the beach, Roman hadn't brought up her slip of the tongue and she was hoping he would soon forget about it although she didn't believe she would be that lucky. She didn't know where the statement came from. Maybe it was something that her subconscious truly wanted but she wasn't ready to admit it yet. No, it was definitely too soon. They had just started dating.

But Alyssa had to admit that the chemistry between the two of them were off the charts. While she was still trying to become comfortable revealing details of her personal life to Roman, there was a certain comfort level she reached with him that made her start to think that maybe the idea of the two of them exclusively dating wouldn't be such a bad idea.

But as Alyssa stepped back to admire the makeup look she adorned Cameron's face with, she decided to keep her and Roman's conversation to herself and not share it with her friends. While she loved them like sisters, this was one of those things she wanted to keep to herself and Roman, unwilling to have outside opinions tossed in the middle.

Once Alyssa decided she was satisfied with her work, she pulled off the cotton robe she wore, revealing her outfit of the night: a black and blue striped body con mini skirt and plain white tank top. She slipped her accessories on that complimented the look before placing her feet in her 5 inch black pumps. "So how do I look?" she asked as she twirled around in a small circle for her friends, her hands teasing her curly hairdo in an effort to create volume.

"Like you tryna back that thang up on that fine ass Samoan," Naomi commented as she adjusted her hot pink dress, peaking at her backside in the floor length mirror.

Alyssa giggled and sat on the bed taking a sip of her drink to calm her nerves. "Maybe I am," she said with a sly smile. "We're on vacation. Time to let loose as my girl Cameron would say."

"Girl I know that's right! That's exactly what I'm trying to do this weekend too!" Cameron proclaimed with a mischievous grin, adjusting her breasts in her white bralet crop top that matched her olive green harem pants. She walked over to Alyssa and batted her eyelashes making the makeup artist raise her eyebrow skeptically.

"I'm afraid to know what's on your mind Cam."

"Is Roman a good kisser?" Cameron nosily asked making Alyssa laugh some more and Naomi to shake her head.

"Shit is Big E. Langston a good kisser?" Alyssa shot back, quickly informing Cameron that she noticed the flirting between the two earlier that day.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know but I surely do plan on finding out tonight," she giggled. "Now answer the damn question and stop dodging. Is Mr. Roman Reigns, the Samoan adonis and powerhouse, a good kisser?"

Alyssa quietly took another sip of her drink before smiling. "A-fuckin-mazing."

Cameron squealed as she jumped up and down giddily, her and Naomi slapping hands. "YASSSS! That's what the fuck I'm talking about! Now all we gotta do is get you some penis and you good to go!"

"And maybe once she get some she'll stop being so uptight," Naomi added, tossing a cheeky grin to Alyssa.

Alyssa held up her hand as she quickly stood and grabbed her clutch from the dresser. "I'm not uptight!" she exclaimed.

Naomi & Cameron looked at each other before looking back at Alyssa. "SHIT!" they replied at once before bursting into giggles.

Alyssa rolled her eyes at her two friends as they entered the common room where the rest of the divas were waiting on them.

"Damn it's about time y'all three got ready," Tamina complained as she glanced at her watch.

Naomi held up her hands defensively. "That's Cameron taking all damn day." She pointed to Cameron.

"Y'all know I can't go out looking a hot mess," Cameron explained as the group of women left the suite. "Gotta show these Miami bitches what I'm working with!" she exclaimed as she strutted down the hallway making the other women laugh and roll their eyes at her antics.

30 minutes later the group of ladies entered the VIP section at Mansion Nightclub where the men were waiting for them. The music pulsed through the speakers as they greeted the men.

"Bout time y'all showed up," Cody said, rolling his blue eyes.

"Don't start Cody! You won't understand the preparation gorgeous women like us have to go through!" Cameron yelled over the music as she poured some Patron into a glass for herself and Alyssa.

Alyssa shook her head with a giggle as she felt calloused fingertips resting on her hips. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned when she saw Roman standing behind her, sipping on his own drink.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack in this skirt?" he whispered as his eyes roamed over her body. His hungry stare landed back on her face as he bit his bottom lip.

The fire in Alyssa's body intensified as she held his gaze but her face remained neutral. "Maybe," Alyssa replied with a shrug as she turned around and took a sip of her drink. She gasped softly as she felt Roman's lips brush against her neck as he pushed his body into hers.

"Maybe y'all two need a room brah," Jimmy joked as he watched his cousin groping Naomi's best friend. The group laughed.

Alyssa chuckled as she turned around and wrapped her arms around Roman's neck. She took in his outfit which consisted of a pair of casual black pants and a short sleeve cobalt blue shirt. "You smell good handsome. And you look sexy as hell," she complimented as his cologne wafted to her nostrils, dazing her. She bit the corner of her glossed lip causing him to release a deep groan.

"And you look incredible. As always."

Alyssa smirked as she felt Roman's hands slip under her tank top and rub the slightly exposed skin on her back, causing her toes to tingle. The manipulations that his hands created were starting to get to her and she soon may have to take Jimmy's suggestion into consideration so she could feel Roman's lips against hers. Rihanna's "What's My Name" started to play over the speakers in the club, her brown eyes lighting up. "I love this song!" she exclaimed happily making Roman chuckle.

Alyssa's big brown eyes locked onto his grey ones as she sensually twisted her hips to the beat of the song, lightly grinding her body on Roman's. She smiled slyly as she turned around and slightly thrusted her ass onto his crotch area as she let herself get lost in the music, slowly losing her inhibitions as her eyes eased closed. A nervous energy captured her body as Roman wrapped his arm around her hips, matching her pace with his own. She leaned her head back, her hand leaning backwards and gripping his ponytail.

"You betta stop before I have to go to the bathroom and adjust myself," he growled in her ear, his tongue darting out licking her earlobe, eliciting a moan from her lips.

Alyssa opened her eyes and shot him a bashful look as the second verse of the song began. Roman shook his head. "You're a tease," he accused, wagging his finger.

"But you like it though," Alyssa responded. She winked at Roman and sauntered over to Naomi and Cameron who were sitting on the couch, watching the interaction between the two, gleeful smiles on their faces.

* * *

Roman sipped on another beer as he watched Alyssa laugh and dance with Cameron & Cody Rhodes, slapping his ass playfully when he backed it up on her, his body sandwiched between the two women. He shook his head, happy to see Alyssa enjoying herself. He never seen her appear to be so carefree, lively, and seductive. Another side of her that honestly turned him on. This woman was definitely full of surprises. Someone cleared their throat as they plopped down on the couch next to him. He glanced up and nodded his head in greeting to Naomi.

"You having fun future cousin in law?" he asked.

Naomi nodded her head, the glazed look in her eyes revealing she was slightly tipsy. "Definitely. I would ask you the same but I already know the answer to that," she said, gesturing to Alyssa. Roman chuckled knowing she was referring to the dance the two shared with each other earlier.

"Yeah you can say that."

"Look Roman maybe I shouldn't have this talk with you now because I'm kinda drunk and I'll probably won't remember this entire conversation tomorrow. But I'm just gonna say what I have to say. I encouraged Alyssa to take a chance with you because I knew that despite what the other divas said backstage you were a good man at heart. At first she didn't want to but I'm glad she changed her mind. I haven't seen her this happy for a while now. But don't prove me wrong. You may be my future cousin in law, but that's my best friend. So if you hurt her, I'll have to kick ya ass," Naomi threatened as she hiccuped loudly.

Roman smiled at Naomi's protectiveness and patted her hand reassuringly. "You don't have anything to worry about. We're still getting to know each other but I know that I like her a lot."

"I know and that's good. I know Lyssa tries to have this calm demeanor like shit doesn't affect her but believe me when I tell you she likes you a lot too. And it's about time that something good happens for her. I've been there when she was at her lowest and she wasn't in a good place. It took a lot for her to get her life back together and I definitely don't want to see her in that place again." Naomi ran a hand through her frizzy hair as she stared into Roman's eyes, hiccuping again from all the liquor she consumed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, make sure you treat her right. She may seem like she's strong and shit but underneath it all, she's really delicate."

Roman tore his eyes away from Naomi and they landed on Alyssa who was still on the dance floor, mingling with the rest of the group. He watched as she laughed heartily with the divas. A smirk spread across his lips as her eyes locked with his. She gestured for him to come on the dance floor with her index finger before twisting her hips to the beat in an attempt to convince him which instantly worked. He stood up and helped Naomi to her feet.

"It's not my intention to hurt her. I'm interested in possibly building something with her. Like I said Naomi, you have nothing to worry about," he promised her before the two made their way to the dance floor.

* * *

"So what were you and Naomi talking about at the club?" Alyssa asked, her head resting on Roman's shoulder as the two laid in his hotel bed.

After the club, Roman invited Alyssa back to his room to talk when Alyssa found out that Cameron would be entertaining Big E. Langston in their room for a few hours. Although she didn't want to give Roman the wrong idea, Alyssa quickly accepted the invite unwilling to sleep in the common room and be subjected to the growls of passion from the room she shared with her friend.

Roman glanced down at Alyssa, who was dressed in his oversized Hounds of Justice t-shirt and a pair of his basketball shorts. He himself was wearing a black tank top and his jogging pants as their club attire sat on an empty chair in the corner.

"Nothing much. Just told me if I hurt you, she would kick my ass," he explained as Alyssa chuckled. "But I told her I didn't have any intention on hurting you."

"Oh," Alyssa replied simply, attempting to stop the goofy smile from creeping onto her face to no avail.

"So about this whole 'we're dating' statement you made earlier." Roman laughed as Alyssa pretended to snore loudly as if she was sleep. He tickled the sides of her stomach causing her to giggle. "Unt uh gorgeous. I told you this conversation isn't over. Don't pull that shit now."

Alyssa exhaled once her laughter ceased and sat up in the bed to face Roman. She pulled the hair tie that was holding Roman's hair in a ponytail off, making his tresses drape down his back. She pulled her own hair into a sloppy top bun as she nibbled her lip nervously. She knew she wasn't lucky enough for him to forget her earlier statement. "It was honestly a slip of the tongue Roman. Nothing more than that. Not a big deal."

"Well what if I want to make it a big deal?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Roman exhaled as he straightened his posture. "Alyssa who are we fooling? We've been spending a lot of time together these past few months, getting to know each other. And I've been enjoying the time we've been spending together like I know you have. You know I want to spend more time with you. So what's the problem with us saying we're dating? What's the problem with us actually beginning a relationship with each other?" he asked. Alyssa blushed as she turned her head slightly away from his unwavering gaze. He turned her head back to face him softly, his thumb grazing her jaw bone. "I don't know about you but I'm too old to say we're just 'talking'." The two of them shared a laugh.

"I know but-"

"But what? Gimme one good reason why we shouldn't take this next step to be more exclusive." Alyssa twiddled her fingers as she cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "You can't think of one can you?" Roman asked her, his voice soft. "Because there isn't one."

"I can get hurt. You can get hurt. It couldn't work out."

"Or it could work. Look relationships aren't perfect and sometimes we're going to argue. We're going to disagree. Sometimes we're going to say or do shit that upsets the other. But if I was a betting man I would bet that the great times that we would share would outnumber the bad times that we could possibly share. We would still let things between us develop naturally. But I'm not letting fear of what could possibly go wrong prevent me from beginning something that I know could be great. I'm letting you know now, there isn't another woman that I'm interested in. No other woman that I would rather go out with, invest my time in, that I want to talk to, or that I want to kiss. And I know there is no other woman that I could find that would look as beautiful as you do in my clothes," Roman said with a smile. "You're the only woman I want to be in a relationship with. You and only you Alyssa."

Alyssa's eyes eased closed as a tear trailed down her face. Her body shivered slightly as she felt Roman wipe away the tear with his finger. She held his hand in place on her face and sighed deeply. "Where is all this coming from Roman?" she asked softly. Although she knew Roman was interested in her, she never knew that his feelings ran this deep. The thought excited and scared her at once.

"I guess I've been feeling this way since our first date. But I didn't want to scare you away. But now I feel it's time I make my intentions known to you."

Alyssa opened her eyes again, finding his gray orbs fixed on her face intently. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel the same way that Roman did. The more time they spent together the more she started to like him. Whenever she was around him, she felt herself acting giddy like she was back in high school. But this was far from a meaningless crush. Once one date ended, she immediately looked forward to the next date to spend more time with him. She hadn't been in a relationship in a while but she knew that Roman was the perfect man to begin one with.

But she would also be lying if she didn't admit that she was scared of being hurt. She would hate to think that everything was great just to have the rug pulled from under her. She had endured that before and she didn't know if she would be able to recover from that again.

Alyssa sighed softly as Naomi & Cameron's words of advice floated through her mind, encouraging her to not let her past pain prevent her from finding happiness. If she ever wanted to fully recover, she would have to take a full leap of faith and just pray for the best. There were some things that you couldn't control and romance was one of them.

Alyssa simply nodded her head, silently agreeing to Roman's request. She admitted the idea of a relationship with Roman did shake her to her core but deep down she knew she was making the right decision.

Roman released a relieved sigh as he leaned forward and kissed her lips gingerly. He pulled away and Alyssa wiped her lipstick off his lips, a tiny smile on her lips.

"Spend the night with me Alyssa," Roman requested. "I just want to hold you in my arms. Is that ok with you?"

Alyssa swallowed timidly, desperate to have Roman's arms wrap around her petite frame as she nodded her head again. The two laid back in the bed, Alyssa's head resting on Roman's chest, his pounding heart beat blasting in her ears.

"I never thought this would happen," she said suddenly, breaking her silence. She gripped Roman's hand tightly. "But I'm happy to be in your arms Roman and I'm happy to take this leap of faith with you too. I wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

**A/N: *daniel bryan yes chant* R&R :-)**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: As usual, thanks for the love. **

* * *

"Well if it isn't Mr. Casanova himself!"

Roman rolled his grey eyes as he walked into the cafeteria where Seth & Dean sat waiting for him that following Monday afternoon. He was back on the road after his brief break in Miami and although he was happy to be back at work, his mind couldn't help but wander to Alyssa. A tiny smile spread across Roman's face as he thought about the time the two of them spent with each other in Miami. After they finally agreed to begin a relationship with each other, Roman had to admit that this was the happiest he had been in a while. He never thought he would see the day when he would develop such strong feelings for a woman like he did for Alyssa but it was happening. And he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Although he knew that they both would be focusing on work once they were back on the road, Roman wasn't going to let that interfere in his relationship with her.

He dropped down into an empty seat at the table, pounding fists with his stable mates as he shook his head at their immature teasing. "Funny," Roman muttered, his tone emotionless.

"Why so glum Fabio? We're just saying hi," Dean said with a coy smile.

Dean and Seth laughed loudly as Roman shot death glares at them. He already knew that word of him and Alyssa's various encounters in Miami would make their way back to work since some wrestlers on the roster were there as well. But he wouldn't let Dean or Seth make him feel humiliated of what happened between the two of them while they were away.

Seth slapped Roman on the back. "Aw Ro we're just talking shit. I think it's about time that you found a woman that you actually liked. Now that means that I can have all the divas and ring rats to myself!" Seth proclaimed happily as he fist pumped the air.

"Nah. That's gonna be all me. You're too sensitive to take the place of this man here. Whereas I'm going to pick up right where he left off and quickly become the next panty dropper around here," Dean said making Roman chuckle at his friends' aspirations to have sex with as many ring rats and divas that they could.

"Well you two have fun. Because I'm done with fucking divas and rats," Roman declared. "My eyes are only on Alyssa."

"Reigns lemme just say that it pains my heart to hear you be such a bitch," Dean dramatically placed his hand over his heart. "But a lil birdie told me that you did take Alyssa back to your room for a nightcap. So at least tell me you got some pussy while in Miami."

Roman rolled his eyes again as he thought about the night he and Alyssa spent together. He knew when he asked her to come back to his room, she fearfully thought that he wanted to have sex with her. And maybe old Roman would have. But the new Roman was able to contain himself and just merely wanted to spend some time with her so he could reveal what he had been feeling about the status of their courtship for a while. While he would love for him and Alyssa to connect with each other on an intimate level, it wasn't the most important thing on his mind. He first wanted her to feel comfortable with him and their new relationship before they had sex with each other. He knew if it worked in that order it would make the experience more fulfilling and intense.

"Is that all that you think about Ambrose?" Roman asked.

Dean shrugged. "That, drinking, and whooping ass," he replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"So what's the news with you two?" Seth questioned his friend, choosing to ignore Dean. "I heard about that little show you two put on at the club in Miami. Heard it was very...sensual."

A cheeky grin appeared on Roman's face as he shook his head, his flowing locks shaking. "We simply had a great time in Miami."

"AND?" Seth & Dean asked in unison.

Roman dragged a hand over his face. Clearly his friends wouldn't drop the topic until he revealed the entire truth to them. "Well no we didn't have sex," he began before being interrupted by a groan from Dean. "But we're together."

"Together as in what exactly?" Dean probed. A sheepish grin appeared on Roman's face and he shrugged his shoulders. "Bro are you telling me you asked her to wear your jacket?" Dean asked loudly making Seth fill the cafeteria with raucous laughter. "Shit!" Dean exclaimed as he felt Roman kick him underneath the table. He reached down and rubbed his throbbing shin.

"Wear my jacket Dean? I'm not in high school asshole."

"Well the way you be grinning and shit you sure are acting like it," Dean retorted making Roman grunt.

"Well I would be lying if I would say I'm not upset that you've turned into a sap. But I'm happy that you grew some damn balls and made shit happen. You're not that much of a pussy anymore. Good job." Seth grinned at his friend.

"Yeah man. I know I give you a lot of shit but that's just the person I am. Only question I have is are you happy big man?"

Images of Roman and Alyssa cuddling in his hotel room as they watched a movie, laughter filling the room flashed through his mind before he nodded his head. "Yeah. I am."

"Well if you're happy I have no problem. As long as you don't end up getting married tomorrow or some shit. Then I'll have to kick your ass."

The three Hounds of Justice shared a laugh before Roman took a sip of his water. "Don't worry. I'm far away from that point," he assured his friends.

"Now that you're a one woman man and all I'm sure there will be a lot of disappointed divas in the locker room," Dean assumed making Roman shrug his shoulders indifferently.

"Yeah I can only imagine the type of reaction a certain former flame is going to have when she hears the news," Seth added as he gestured towards the cafeteria entrance with his eyes.

Roman turned around in his seat and saw Summer Rae walking in. He groaned when her eyes lit up, a seductive grin on her face as she made her way towards his table.

* * *

"So tell me again how did he say it?" Cameron asked with a wide grin causing Naomi to laugh and Alyssa to exhale deeply as she massaged her temples.

As the three women walked down the corridor of the Amway Center, the two divas interrogated Alyssa about the time her and Roman spent together in Miami. Alyssa planned to only tell them minor details to get them off her back. However, her giddiness at the new development in their relationship made her accidentally spill the tidbit that her and Roman were now dating exclusively. Once her friends learned that, their interrogation intensified and became more annoying.

"For the last fuckin time he said, **_'You're the only woman I want to date Alyssa. You and only you',_**" Alyssa repeated in an exasperated tone as her friends squealed happily.

"It's about fuckin time!" Cameron exclaimed. "If y'all didn't get it together I was gonna hurt both of y'all I swear."

"Alyssa I'm so happy for you!" Naomi wrapped her arm around Alyssa's shoulder, pulling her body into a hug. "I knew Roman wouldn't let me down."

Alyssa tossed a sideways glance at her friend, quickly remembering the moment her and Roman shared at the nightclub. "Yeah I saw you chatting him up at the club that night. He told me you threatened to kick his ass if he hurt me," Alyssa said with a chuckle.

Naomi smiled slyly as she shrugged her shoulders. "You know me. Always looking out for you like the big sister you never had."

"Yeah Alyssa we just want you to be happy. You deserve it," Cameron added wrapping her arm around Alyssa's other shoulder and making a sandwich between the three of them. Alyssa squirmed between the two Funkadactyls making them laugh before they released her from their grip.

"I want to be happy too. And I know Roman can make me happy. Y'all I haven't felt like this about a man in a while. Since our first date I've been acting like I'm back in high school with a crush, grinning and blushing. I get so giddy when I get a text from him or see him in passing backstage. And then he's nothing like what I've heard other divas describe him to be or the character he portrays on screen. I never thought the man I saw triple power bombing other wrestlers and spearing them in half could have such a sweet, caring, and protective side to him."

"Maybe he just needed the right woman to bring that side out of him," Cameron mused.

"Maybe you're right. But I'm not going to lie y'all. While this is refreshing to meet a man like this, I still have reservations. I've never dated an entertainer before so I know I'll have to deal with a lot of competition from other women to keep him interested. I know there's always going to be a woman waiting in the cut wanting my spot."

Naomi waved her hand nonchalantly, dismissing the notion. "Alyssa I'll admit it is hard dating a wrestler that's lusted by multiple women. But that's where trust comes into play. As long as you trust that Roman won't do you wrong then those other women won't matter. I know you have trust issues but you have to let those go in order to be happy. And I can tell you by the way Roman looks at you when y'all are together or the big cheesy grin that spreads across his face when he talks about you, you don't have to worry about any other woman stealing his attention," Naomi assured her friend.

"Just enjoy this time Alyssa. You always stress about possible scenarios that could happen instead of enjoying everything as it happens. Like we said, you deserve this happiness. Revel in it and don't let your past pain ruin it for you."

Alyssa nodded her head as her two friends' words of encouragement swirled through her head. She was so used to worrying about what could happen or worrying about whether the past would repeat itself that she always robbed herself of the happiness that she deserved. Her new relationship with Roman was her first real relationship she was involved in since she started working for WWE and she was naturally apprehensive. But she had to admit that it was fresh and exciting. So instead of focusing on what could possibly go wrong, Alyssa vowed to focus on the positives that would result from her being with him.

"Thanks y'all. I know y'all get tired of me and my pessimism. I don't know how y'all deal with me."

"Shit we don't either sometimes," Cameron said with a laugh as Naomi chuckled in agreement.

Alyssa playfully pushed her friend as the three women entered the cafeteria. Alyssa's doe shaped eyes scanned the room before her laughter halted once she spotted Roman. Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched him sitting at the table motionlessly with Dean & Seth. Her jaw twitched slightly as she watched Summer Rae flirtatiously flip her hair over her shoulder, leaning close to him to speak.

"Oh hell naw," Cameron said quietly as her eyes noticed the scene before them as well. She clenched her hands at her sides. "What the fuck is this bitch doing? Trying to get her ass beat?"

"Calm down Cam." Naomi turned to face Alyssa and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "You calm down too. Don't make a scene. Just chill out."

Alyssa silently counted to 10 as she shook her head in amusement. She knew it wouldn't be long before Summer Rae made her presence known, and tried to throw herself at Roman in another attempt to snag him. Women like Summer Rae didn't accept rejection well. Instead of accepting the fact that Roman didn't want to be her and wanted to be with Alyssa, Summer Rae insisted on throwing herself on him and looking desperate in the process. A wry chuckle escaped Alyssa's glossed lips as she decided that she would have to show Summer Rae that her scheming wouldn't come between her and Roman.

"I'm cool. I'm just gonna go say hi to Roman," Alyssa informed her friends with a tiny smile. She sauntered towards Roman as she silently tried to keep her emotions in check. She didn't want to lash out and make Summer Rae's day since that's what she wanted. Her heartbeat grew louder the closer she got to the table. Once she arrived at the table, she leaned down close to him.

"Hey handsome," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

Roman turned around to face Alyssa and her heart jumped as the corners of his lips tipped upward into a grin. He stood up and wrapped his muscular arms around her petite frame. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers as she rose to her tip toes to deepen the kiss. Tingles ran down Alyssa's spine as his breathtaking cologne invaded her nostrils, his fingertips rubbing small circles on her hips before she pulled away.

"Hi gorgeous," Roman replied with a deep, husky voice.

Alyssa greeted Dean & Seth with a simple wave before turning her attention to Summer Rae. Alyssa smirked, a mischievous glint in her brown orbs as she watched the diva scoff and roll her own eyes in disgust. Her smirk widened as she watched Summer Rae quickly stand to her feet and leave the cafeteria in a huff, pulling her too short pencil skirt down in frustration. Alyssa turned back around to see Roman shaking his head and chuckling.

"Staking your claim Miss Stewart?"

"Just letting everybody know you're off limits."

"Off limits? Being kinda greedy are we?" Roman asked, his brow elevated in amusement.

"I guess you can say that," Alyssa answered with a shrug of her shoulders and a wink before she turned on her heel and walked back to Naomi and Cameron.

* * *

_**'Who does this bitch think she is?'** _Summer Rae asked herself as she walked down the corridor briskly, her heels clicking on the floor. She couldn't believe that Roman, the man that she had been dating for the past year threw her to the side with such ease for a fucking makeup artist.

The nerve.

Sure the last time they spent the night together, it didn't end that well since he kicked her out of his hotel room. But she knew he would be back. He always came back. She was the like the drug that he couldn't get enough of.

But now she had to worry about this bitch.

It was like she came out of nowhere, sinking her claws into Summer Rae's man. Trying to take him away from Summer Rae so he could discard of her like yesterday's trash. Everybody backstage were laughing at her and deemed her pathetic and pitiful. Another man that she couldn't hold onto. But instead of it being another diva that she had to worry about, she had competition from a lowly makeup artist. Everybody backstage whispered that Summer Rae was nothing more to Roman than a sexual conquest, somebody that he could use for a quick nut, another notch on his belt. And now that he found the woman that allegedly inspired him to change his life for, there was no use for her.

"No, no, no this isn't supposed to happen!" Summer Rae hissed to herself as she let out an agitated yell, stomping her foot.

When she first saw the two talking with each other at Naomi and Jimmy's engagement party, she didn't think anything of it. As soon as she showed the girl that she was Roman's by wrapping her arms around him, Alyssa quickly retreated without a second look back. But then Summer Rae heard the rumors backstage how the two went on a date. Summer Rae couldn't believe it. So she went looking for Alyssa to provide her with a friendly warning: stay away from Roman because he belonged to Summer Rae. In the diva's mind, her and Roman were destined to become the newest WWE _'it couple'_. They both had the look and the charm to become very successful. And she was dammed if some nobody derailed her plans.

But Summer Rae didn't think that Alyssa would stand up to her. She didn't know the girl had such a fiesty attitude brewing underneath her quiet demeanor. From what Summer Rae could see, the girl rarely talked unless it was to those two talentless Funkadactyls. So it should've been easy to scare her away.

Instead the girl ignored her and started to inch closer to Roman.

Everything came to a head once Summer Rae heard about the closeness demonstrated between Roman and Alyssa in Miami that past weekend. Summer Rae's head began to throb as she thought about the divas gossiping with each other in the dressing room about the two of them holding hands, sharing secretive glances with each other, dancing sensually with each other in club. Then to top everything off, Alyssa ended up spending the night in Roman's hotel room.

Summer Rae's blood began to boil.

Summer Rae determined that she had to come up with a plan before she lost Roman for good. As desperation began to settle in, she went to find Roman so she could remind him about how much fun they had and how the two of them together would be so much better than he could possibly have with Alyssa. She had to remind him that she was the woman that he needed in his life and not her. But it was as if Summer Rae was talking to herself. Not once did he look at her. Not once did he speak to her. He ignored her as if her mere existence didn't matter. But she didn't let that deter her. Not when so much was at stake. She knew if she had the time she could change his mind.

But then the bitch had to show up.

Summer Rae leaned against the wall and ran a hand through her blonde locks as she recalled the grin that quickly spread to Roman's face when he saw Alyssa. The way his grey eyes twinkled with adoration when they hugged before they kissed each other. In front of her. Then to make everything worse, Alyssa glanced at her with a smirk. A smirk that informed the woman that she knew the scheme she was trying to pull but she wasn't having it. That one tiny smirk put Summer Rae on notice that Alyssa was ready for whatever Summer Rae threw her way, that she was willing to fight for Roman.

An evil smile appeared on the diva's face. If it was a fight the bitch wanted, it was a fight she was going to get. And Summer Rae vowed that she would be the last woman standing alongside Roman.

* * *

**A/N: Bitches be crazy. R&R :-)**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I intended for this to be a "filler" chapter and it still ended up long. Whoops. BTW slight warning..there's a scene that may cause ovaries to erupt. You've been warned :-)**

* * *

"We gooooo deeeeeeeppppppp aaaaannnnnddddd weeeeeeeeee doooooonnnnnnn'ttttt geeeeettttttt noooo sleeeeepppp caaaausssseee weeee beeeee uuuppp allllll niiiiggghtttt uuuntttttiiiiilllll theeeeee earlyy liiiiggggghhhhttt!" Alyssa sang off key while dancing around her studio apartment as she swept the floor. She patted her head, unable to scratch it while her hair was rolled around flexi rods as Janet Jackson's "Go Deep" caused her to sway her hips to the beat.

Since Alyssa finally had a few days to herself, she decided to return back to her apartment in Tampa for some well needed rest and relaxation. So as she cleaned her apartment, she decided to pamper herself with a facial as well. However, she had to admit that it felt weird being alone since she had constantly been on the move for the past few weeks whether it was with Naomi planning her wedding or spending time with Roman.

Butterflies flittered in her stomach at the thought of Roman. She was still trying to manage her expectations when it came to their relationship but she couldn't help but admit that she liked him a lot and she was happy they were together. She couldn't stop thinking about him staring deeply in her eyes, confiding in her about his dreams and desires, or the way he grasped her hand tightly when they walked. Roman was the perfect gentleman and after the pain she endured, she never thought she would find a man that adored her like Roman did.

A knock at the door interrupted Alyssa's thoughts and her cleaning/dancing moment. "I hope it's not another delivery person at the wrong apartment," Alyssa mumbled as she adjusted her long sleeved Chicago Bears shirt before swinging the door open.

"Surprise gor- What the hell is that on your face?!" Roman exclaimed as he saw the green face mask sitting on Alyssa's skin.

Alyssa yelped in horror and slammed the door in Roman's face, leaning against it. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Alyssa asked as she frantically looked for a towel to wipe her face with.

"I was trying to be spontaneous and surprise you. I thought that's what women liked for their boyfriends to do! I didn't know you would have some guacamole looking shit on your face!"

Alyssa paused from her search as a smile appeared on her face. "It's a face mas-Boyfriend huh?" she asked, her thoughts switching gears. Her smile grew wider when she heard him chuckle on the other side of the door.

"Yeah so are you going to open the door and let your boyfriend in?"

Alyssa shook her head frantically as she looked at her appearance in the floor length mirror. "You can't see me like this. I'm a mess. I got a mask on my face and rollers in my hair. I'm no-"

"Gorgeous I don't care about any of that," Roman interrupted. "All I know is that I've driven damn near all afternoon to see you, hug you, and kiss you. So just open the door."

Alyssa exhaled deeply before she slowly opened the door, revealing Roman on the other side. Her eyes dropped to the floor nervously. "Hi."

Roman reached out and tilted her head up with his index finger, making her look him in his grey eyes. "Hi. May I come in?"

Alyssa stepped back to allow Roman to enter her apartment. "Sorry it's kinda mess. I was cleaning," she explained as she rushed to turn off her iPod dock. She scurried to the bathroom to rinse off her mask, leaving Roman in the living room.

Roman's eyes traveled around her modest studio apartment. It wasn't that big but it was big enough for one person who barely was there due to her traveling schedule. The light blue and black color decor of the apartment gave it a contemporary feel and it was extremely tidy for a person that claimed that they were in the middle of cleaning.

He made his way to the kitchen and began unpacking the Chinese food that he purchased on his way to her apartment. "Did you eat? I bought Chinese food," he yelled out to her.

Alyssa rejoined him in the kitchen, wiping her hands on a paper towel, the mask removed from her face. Roman bit his bottom lip as he looked at her bare face realizing that she was even beautiful without being dolled up like she normally was whenever he saw her at work.

"I ate earlier but I'm hungry again," she told him as she started grabbing plates from her cabinet. She handed them to him. "So boyfriend who told you where I lived?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Roman sheepishly ran a hand over his ponytail causing Alyssa to shake her head with a light chuckle. "Don't blame Naomi and Cameron Lyssa. I had to force them to tell me. I was just trying to surprise you."

"They still could've gave me a warning so I would know to make myself look somewhat presentable. I look a mess," Alyssa complained as she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Roman smiled as he wrapped his arms around Alyssa's waist and pulled her close to him. "Don't even worry about it. You're still beautiful as ever." He leaned down and pecked her lips softly. Alyssa wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. She parted her lips slightly and moaned when she felt Roman's tongue slip inside her awaiting mouth, tangling with hers.

"You and this moaning is going to be the death of me I swear," Roman said with a throaty growl as he pulled away. He softly bit Alyssa's ear.

Alyssa blushed as she pulled back, his voice sending a shiver through her body. "Why are you in town anyway?" she asked as he carried their plates to her small dining table. She smiled as he pulled out her chair.

"Well besides to see you, I have some business to take care of in town tomorrow and I was wondering if you would want to accompany me."

"Business like what?"

Roman bit the corner of his lip nervously. "Looking for a place to live," he said causing Alyssa to raise her brow curiously. "You know I've been looking for a place for a while now. I wanted a little bit of distance from my family since they ALL live in Pensacola. Although I love them I just wanted to live in a town and not feel smothered by all of them. Nothing to do with you at all." Roman groaned at his last statement as Alyssa chuckled at his nervous rambling. "I didn't mean it like that I'm just-"

"Roman it's fine," Alyssa said, holding up her hand. "I'll go with you to offer my women's input. But I gotta warn you I'm hard to please."

"Don't I know it," Roman joked making Alyssa gasp incredulously and throw her napkin at him. He laughed as he caught it. "Now I just gotta find a hotel to stay at tonight."

"Hotel?" Alyssa wrinkled her nose disapprovingly as she stuffed some shrimp fried rice in her mouth. "Don't be silly. You can stay here. I only got one bed but that won't be the first time that we slept in the same bed together."

"Are you sure?" Roman asked, raising his brow. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and think I'm trying to make a move on you."

"Roman baby we've been dating for months now and just a few minutes ago you called yourself my boyfriend. So what kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you stay at a hotel when I have a place already?"

Roman smirked at the terms of endearment she used for both him and herself and nodded his head nonchalantly to offset his internal excitement. "Well if you insist," he said, playfully rolling his eyes. "But how do you feel about that?"

"Feel about what?"

"Me actually calling myself your boyfriend. First time I've said it."

Alyssa placed her fork on her plate and folded her hands in front of her. "If I tell you the truth promise you won't judge me?"

"Of course not."

"All I have to say is YES! YES! YES! " Alyssa exclaimed as she thrusted her thumbs into the air causing Roman to laugh heartily which made her laugh in return.

Roman reached across the table and squeezed Alyssa's hand. He licked his lips making Alyssa's body tremble slightly. "Glad we're on the same page babe."

"So what did you want to do tonight? I'm really planned on staying in but if you wanted to go out I can unroll my hair and throw something on."

"Or we could stay in. Finish our dinner. And enjoy each other's company," Roman suggested with a sly grin. "I just want to hold you and watch Sportscenter. God I haven't seen Sportscenter in so long," Roman said with a wishful sigh making Alyssa giggle.

Alyssa stood up from her chair and made her way over to Roman before taking a seat on his lap, tossing her arm over his shoulder. She kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you for the surprise handsome. But next time warn a girl so she won't look like the blob when you show up," she said as the two of them laughed again.

* * *

_Roman growled lowly as Alyssa bit his bottom lip softly before he parted his lips. Alyssa pushed her body into his, slipping her tongue in his mouth and grinding herself onto him, her lower mound pressed against his crotch. Roman's hands snaked around her waist, squeezing her ass before lifting her petite body with ease. She yelped quietly in shock as he pushed her back against her front door, gyrating his pelvis and allowing her to feel his throbbing penis._

_"Ah Roman," Alyssa moaned as she pulled on his ponytail, making him growl again, his hair falling out of the elastic that held it captive. He turned his attention to her neck, gingerly licking and nipping at it making Alyssa's brown eyes roll backwards in ecstasy. She wrapped her slender legs around his waist as his large right hand slipped inside her off the shoulder top, groping one of her bra-less breasts, his thumb tweaking her nipples. His free hand grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it behind him. His smoldering stare studied Alyssa's upper half as he licked his lips at the sight of her mocha hued perky breasts, her nipples erect and begging for more of his special attention._

_"Bed," Alyssa simply instructed. Roman obliged her request and carried her towards her bed, his hands kneading her ass cheeks on the way. The fire in the pit of his stomach grew hotter as he watched her breasts bounce with every move they made. His lips crashed onto hers once again, attacking her mouth with a fervor that he never exhibited with her before. He wanted her. He needed her. And by the way her shallow breathing escaped her lips, he could tell she felt the same._

_Once her back landed on her mattress, Roman broke the kiss and stood up slightly to remove his shirt. Alyssa sat up on her elbows, tracing his tribal tattoo with her manicured finger making a shiver run through Roman's body. She created a path from his pec to his belt buckle with her finger, a coy grin on her face as she was well aware of the effect her touch was having on him. Roman bit his lip as he leaned back down and placed kisses along her collarbone. His lips forged a trail from her neck to the space between her breasts, his tongue easing out of his mouth and licking her soft skin. He did the same to her navel before softly blowing his breath on the same spot, causing Alyssa to arch her back as she exhaled sharply. Roman's hands rested on the top of her lace trimmed panties, his two index fingers slipping inside the waistband as he glanced up at her._

_"Tell me what you want baby," he whispered, his voice low and hoarse as he slowly began to pull the impeding fabric down her hips._

_"Make love to me Roman," Alyssa murmured._

Roman jerked awake immediately, almost knocking himself out the bed. He shook his head, hoping to remove the erotic vision from his mind as he turned his body to his right. He watched as Alyssa continued to sleep next to him, her chest rising silently. Grateful that he didn't awake her, he tossed the covers off of his body. He groaned as he looked down at his penis standing erect, poking against his boxers and begging for a release.

Roman placed his head in his hands and sighed. Of all the nights he had to dream about Alyssa in such a carnal nature, he had to do it when she was sleeping next to him while wearing a little amount of clothes. Even though Roman was trying to rid himself of the playboy persona he obtained over the years, at the end of the day he was a man. And his manly desires couldn't deny that he wanted to make Alyssa scream his name in ecstasy as the two created an intimate connection with the other.

Although he knew that his cravings were completely normal, he still couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He didn't want Alyssa to feel as if he was only concerned with sex when it came to her because that was far from the truth. But a man had needs. And Roman needed to feel Alyssa's pussy engulf his dick like a glove.

"Shit!" Roman exclaimed quietly as his penis twitched again. He leaned his head against her wooden headboard and closed his eyes, his mind working hastily to remove the sexual thoughts. He silently told himself that he just had to exercise patience and wait for Alyssa to become more comfortable with him to take that next step.

"Roman are you okay?" Alyssa murmured groggily as she slowly turned on her side to face him. She sat up in the bed and reached over to turn on the lamp that sat on her nightstand. Roman quickly pulled the cover over his crotch to hide his erect penis.

"Yeah babe I'm fine. I didn't mean to wake you," Roman apologized. "I think I need to hop in the shower."

"Shower?" Alyssa picked up her cell phone from her nightstand and glanced at the time. "At 4 in the morning?"

"Yeah I think I'm still sore from the matches this past week. It's making it hard for me to sleep."

Alyssa rested her head on Roman's shoulder as her hand rubbed his arm softly. Roman bit his bottom lip as he felt his penis jerking in his boxer briefs, her delicate touch driving him wild. "I could always give you a massage if you want one baby. My hands could be quite magical."

The thought of Alyssa straddling his back and tenderly rubbing her hands over his sore body before caressing his dick in her grasp caused a groan to slip from Roman's lips, making Alyssa chuckle at his reaction unaware of what was really going on in his mind. Roman shook the image out of his head. "Naw that's ok. I think the shower will do the trick."

Alyssa looked up into Roman's face, her brow elevated inquisitively. She noticed how rigid Roman sat in the bed as he avoided her gaze. She couldn't think of anything that could be troubling him since they were in good spirits before they went to sleep so seeing this type of behavior from him was odd. She placed her index finger under his chin and turned his face towards her.

"Are you sure you're okay? Are you mad at me?"

Roman sighed, upset that he lead Alyssa to believe that she did something wrong. He shook his head again as he raised his arm and pulled her closer to his body, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Of course not. I think I'll be in a better mood once I get the shower though. But go back to sleep. We got a big day tomorrow and I know how cranky you get when you don't get enough sleep."

Alyssa rolled her eyes at Roman as she nodded her head. She pecked his cheek and nestled back in the bed. "There are towels in a basket underneath the sink in the bathroom," she said before turning on her side and pulling the covers over her body.

Once he believed she was asleep, Roman quickly slipped from underneath the covers. He made his way to the bathroom, hoping that a long cold shower would calm down his raging hormones.

* * *

Alyssa quietly stirred her straw in her glass of orange juice as she watched Roman stand near the entrance at iHop talking on his phone. Once the two woke up, they went and looked at a few apartments that Roman had set up appointments at prior to arriving in Tampa. Although he had somewhat returned to his normal behavior, Alyssa could tell that something was weighing heavily on his mind. She still couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. She had tossed and turned all night trying to determine whether she had did or said something wrong but couldn't come up with anything.

"Sorry about that," Roman said as he slid back into the booth snapping Alyssa out of her private thoughts.

"It's cool," Alyssa replied cooly as she took a sip of her juice, her eyes avoiding his as she looked out the window at the traffic.

Roman lips turned into a small frown at her response as the steaming coffee touched his tongue. "So what did you think about the apartments?"

"They were nice. Way bigger than the piece of shit studio I live in."

"Yeah they were nice. But I think I should still look at some more. I think I could find something better." Alyssa nodded her head absentmindedly causing Roman to exhale. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it softly causing her to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that."

"What?"

"You've been acting funny since we woke up in the middle of the night. But you won't tell me what the problem is so clearly it's me."

Roman rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "It's because of you but it's not what you think babe."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just..I just..." Roman stuttered and sighed as Alyssa's eyes bore into him, imploring him to reveal the truth to her. "Fine. I kinda had a damn good dream about you."

Alyssa's face contorted in confusion before her brown orbs widened, realization hitting her with brute force. Before she knew it, a loud chuckle escaped her lips making other customers glance towards her and Roman's table. "So you were acting all weird because you had a sex dream about me?" she asked in between giggles making Roman blush.

"Yeah because I didn't want you think I was just concerned with sex when it came to us."

"Roman I wasn't going to think that because you had a dream. Hell you're a man if you weren't having sex dreams about me I was gonna start thinking something was wrong."

"So you're not mad?"

Alyssa shook her head as she squeezed Roman's hand reassuringly. "No I'm not mad handsome. Hell you never know you may not be the only one having sex dreams," she taunted as her foot rubbed against his calf underneath the table.

Roman's eyes darkened as he growled lowly at Alyssa's discreet movement underneath the table, the sound sending a wave of heat over Alyssa's body. She winked at him before placing her foot back on the ground. "There you go being a tease again," he mumbled. Alyssa shrugged her shoulders as the waitress approached their table placing their plates of food in front of them before quickly leaving to attend to her other tables.

"I'm sorry for making you think you did something wrong. Besides that damn dream, I've just had some other things on my mind," Roman divulged.

"Such as?"

"Besides looking for a new place to live, I've been focused on my match at Survivor Series. I'm just trying to make sure I'm ready for that."

"Which you will be. You're gonna be great I just know it."

Roman shot a thankful smile in Alyssa's direction. "Then there's Thanksgiving..." Roman trailed off glancing away from Alyssa. Alyssa reached across the table and turned Roman's face back to face her.

"And what about Thanksgiving? You trying to decide what dish you should make to bring to your parents' house?" she teased with a grin.

Roman rolled his eyes and chuckled nervously. "No miss comedian. I'm trying to decide whether I should bring a special guest with me to my parents' house."

Alyssa's giggling stopped suddenly once she heard Roman's statement making him hold his breath, his eyes dropping down to their intertwined hands. Although she knew she would have to meet his family eventually, she didn't know that it would be this soon. Of course she knew his cousins. But meeting his parents, two of the most important people in his life, was a big step for them in their fresh relationship.

"I'm guessing you don't mean Dean or Seth?" Alyssa asked after a moment of silence. Roman shook his head. "You really want me to meet your parents?"

Roman looked into Alyssa's face, seeing the uncertainty shine through her brown orbs. Since becoming a wrestler, he never brought any women home to meet his family because he didn't deem them worthy. But he knew in his soul that Alyssa was worthy. He wanted to see how his parents would react to her, how they would like her, and how she would react to them. The interaction would reveal to Roman whether Alyssa was indeed the type of woman he needed in his life.

"Alyssa since I've been in this business I've never taken a woman home to meet my family. Matter of fact the last woman I've probably introduced to them was probably some girl I dated in high school." Roman took a deep breath. "But I want them to meet you. Family is a big part of my life and so I want to see how you feel about them and how they feel about you. I can see in your eyes, that you're apprehensive and gorgeous I would be a liar if I told you that I wasn't nervous about the idea because trust me I am. But I just got this feeling that everything will be ok. The women I hooked up with before you weren't worthy of the honor of meeting my parents. But you are baby."

Alyssa sighed, her hand slightly shaking underneath Roman's. "Do you get the feeling that things between us are moving so rapidly?" she asked, nervously taking a sip of water. Roman nodded his head in agreement. "To be honest the shit kinda scares me because I'm afraid that I'm setting myself up to be hurt."

"I know baby," Roman said, rubbing the top of Alyssa's hand with his index finger. "But don't you think that I'm worried about being hurt too? You're not the only person putting themselves out there. But if we continue to let fear get in our way then-"

"We could ultimately be letting something go that could end up being great in our lives," Alyssa finished softly. "You're right. I don't want you to think that it has anything to do with you. Or that I don't want to meet your family. Because I do. I'm just-"

"Cautious. And that's one of the things I like about you. I like how you think about things before doing something instead of being reckless. I adore that about you Lyssa. But we promised each other to not let fear prevent us from being happy. But it's completely up to you."

Alyssa diverted her gaze from Roman, biting her bottom lip pensively. While she was extremely nervous about the idea of meeting Roman's family, it wasn't like she had any better plans herself. She damn sure wasn't going to Chicago to spend the holidays with her mother and she would've probably just spent the holiday holed up in her apartment wallowing in self pity. After a few minutes of contemplation, weighing the pros and the cons of the situation she exhaled deeply. She looked back into Roman's eyes and nodded her head. "Okay," she answered.

Roman grinned as he brought her hand up to his and kissed it. "Thank you."

"I would much rather spend the holiday with you than with my family and their bullshit. I'm just glad that you would want to spend the holiday with me too," Alyssa said with a tiny smile. She leaned across the table and pressed her lips to Roman's as he released a sigh of relief.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I'm a tease like Alyssa :-) R&R**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks for the love. I know that tease in the last chapter has people anxious but good things come to those who wait. Trust me :-)**

* * *

A large satisfied smirk appeared on Roman's face as he walked backstage his body aching and throbbing after his match at Survivor Series. The match where he, alone, grabbed the win for his team. Random employees walked past him, slapping him on the back as they congratulated him for a job well done, impressed by his dominance. He approached Seth & Dean, who were waiting him a few feet away from the gorilla position.

"YES! That's what the fuck I'm talking about!" Seth happily exclaimed, the first one to notice Roman. He jogged over to his friend and pounded Roman's fist with his own. Roman nodded his head as he did the same with Dean.

"Big man, very impressive," Dean complimented, slapping his friend on the back causing him to grimace slightly.

"Thanks," Roman replied as the trio made their way towards their locker room, energetically recapping the match. Although Dean and Seth were eliminated earlier in the match, they were still happy for Roman. They knew how much this match meant for Roman's career and just like they wanted to succeed in the business, they wanted that for Roman as well.

The three men rounded the corner and Roman's smile grew wider as he watched Alyssa pace in front of his locker room door. Roman cleared his throat causing Alyssa to look up from her hands, a tiny smirk appearing on her face. He crooked his index and middle fingers, signaling for her to walk towards him. Alyssa obliged his request and approached him, her grin still intact. Roman wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her body close to his inhaling the floral scent of her perfume before kissing the top of her head.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just came by to tell you congratulations. And you say you're not a superstar," Alyssa playfully chided making Roman chuckle. He pulled away from her.

"Far from it."

"Whatever. I'm so proud of you. You were a fuckin beast. Kicking ass and taking names. Spearing the shit outta everybody," Alyssa said with a chuckle. She knew how much Roman was focused on his match at Survivor Series and how much he wanted to do well so he could prove to everybody that he could carry on a match without the help of his teammates. Although the match was scripted ahead of time, Alyssa couldn't help but be happy for Roman's successful showing.

"I told you you would do well and you had nothing to worry about. You need to listen to me more often." She and Roman shared a laugh.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind babe."

"Well I'm gonna leave and get the divas ready," Alyssa said plucking Roman's arms from around her waist. He grabbed her chin and leaned forward to peck her lips softly which made Seth & Dean make gagging noises in the background. Alyssa giggled against Roman's lips.

"I could really use a massage with those magical hands later on," Roman suggested slyly, a wicked glimmer in his grey eyes.

Alyssa bit her bottom lip and shrugged her shoulders as she backed away from him. "We'll see if I can make that happen," she teased before disappearing down the corridor.

Seth shook his head as he watched Alyssa's retreating form, glancing at his friend. "Dude you're so pussy whipped," he told him.

"Shut the hell up Rollins before I spear you too," Roman playfully threatened before the three men made their way inside their locker room.

* * *

"Just the man I was looking for," Summer Rae purred as she slid onto the bar stool with a devious grin on her countenance. She watched as the man rolled his eyes at her presence while she waved the bartender over. "Martini please," she requested as she placed her key card on the bar, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes at the young man. Once he left she returned her attention to the person sitting next to her. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I don't know why when you know all the wrestlers are staying in the same hotel," Dean quipped as he stared intently at his bottle of beer. "What do you want Summer Rae?"

Summer Rae grinned graciously as the bartender placed her drink in front of her. She watched as his eyes traveled to the cleavage she exposed in her low cut tank top before she cleared her throat. A smirk appeared on her face as she watched his face turn red from embarrassment that he was caught before disappearing again. She took a sip of her martini, the smooth gin hitting her esophagus and causing a satisfied sigh to tumble from her lips. "Well I just wanted to congratulate you on your Survivor Series match. You did a nice job although you didn't survive that long."

Dean cut his eyes at the diva with an unwavering stare. He cocked his head to the side knowing she was trying to push his buttons. "Gee thanks. I would congratulate you too but seeing as how your team lost and I used that time for a bathroom break, I missed the compelling matchup," he replied in a sarcastic tone.

Summer Rae took another sip of her drink, ignoring Dean's insult. "I mean it's sad once you think about it. You've been in the industry for how long? A little over ten years right? Yet the people in charge are trying to make you appear weak while they focus solely on a newcomer like Roman. But it's nice to see that you're willing to take one for the team."

Dean shrugged his shoulders as he finished his beer, gesturing to the bartender that he wanted another. "At least Reigns is getting his shine. I'm happy for dude."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for him too. I mean I knew back in FCW that he would become a star-"

"And that's why you latched onto him like a blood sucking tick so you could ride his coattails and benefit from his success?" Dean interrupted with a sneer. He constantly saw women like Summer Rae throughout his decade long career. The ones that tried to stake their claim on a man before he made it big in order to obtain the lifestyle they so desperately wanted so they could brag about bagging a big superstar. They didn't care about the man whatsoever they only cared about what the man could do to elevate their life. They were more dangerous than a ring rat because at least a ring rat knew their place and role: they were only used for sex and once that was done they were to disappear. But women like Summer Rae were leeches plain and simple and wouldn't disappear until they decided that the man they used as their meal ticket wasn't valuable to them anymore.

Summer Rae chuckled softly and shook her head. "I see Roman has filled your head with tales about me."

"They're not tales if they're true. You don't fool me Summer Rae. I've seen your type before."

The diva ran a hand through her blonde locks anxiously as she licked her dry lips, deciding to try another approach with Dean. "Look Dean I didn't come over to start anything with you. Just wanted to congratulate you since your team did get the win. And I'm happy for Roman too. Although we're not on good terms right now I'm glad that he's getting everything he's wanted. I mean not only is his career starting to take off but he's found a woman that he's happy with."

"Don't act like you're happy he found Alyssa. It irks the hell out of you every time you see them backstage doesn't it sweetheart?" Dean asked with a smirk. He turned his body to face Summer Rae, his eyes holding amusement as he watched her jaw muscles flinch. "Just go ahead and admit that you're upset that it's not you that's on the receiving end of his adoration."

"Look I'll admit that I wish it was me on Roman's arm and that I still believe that together we could be a force in this company for years to come. But since we're having a truth telling moment, I think it's about time you face some facts too. It's time for you to admit that although you're happy for your friend, that it's a bittersweet feeling. You worked so hard in the indies to finally be called up the big leagues. But instead of you getting the push, it's Roman because he has the look that drives the bosses wild. Oh and because he's The Rock's cousin. You had to work, bleed, and sweat to get where you are whereas one can say Roman just had the success handed to him on a silver platter. And if that wasn't bad enough, he also got a supportive woman by his side complementing his success whereas the most you get is a ring rat in different cities to provide you with temporary pleasure. Doesn't that burn you Dean? I know it would burn me if I were you."

Summer Rae patted Dean on his shoulder sympathetically before drinking the last drop of her martini. She dropped a few dollars on the bar and stood up, grabbing her key card. She walked away without another word, leaving Dean alone with his beer and thoughts.

* * *

"Are you sure I look okay?" Alyssa asked as her and Roman stood in front of his parents' house. After a few days of stressing out about meeting Roman's family, the day finally arrived and her nerves were getting worse. She grasped Roman's hand tightly as her free hand held the pumpkin pie she insisted on bringing.

Roman glanced down at his girlfriend, a reassuring smile on his face. "Baby for the twentieth time you look fine. You look perfect. Don't worry. They're gonna think you're great like I do." He kissed her temple.

Alyssa nodded her head, nervously swallowing as she looked at the outfit that took her days to put together: a loose fitting animal print sleeveless chiffon blouse, black coated jeans, and black sparkly loafers. Roman himself was dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain gray t-shirt, his raven hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Alyssa's head jerked up as the door opened revealing a woman who looked to be in her mid thirties standing on the other side. A wide grin spread across her face once her eyes landed on Roman and Alyssa.

"Roman!" she exclaimed happily as she wrapped her arms around him. Roman laughed as he hugged the woman back.

"Hey sis," he greeted. He pulled away and pecked his sister's cheek before playfully messing her hair with his hand, making her smack her lips. Roman's sister glanced over to Alyssa who stood there awkwardly and smiled warmly.

"You must be the woman that has turned my brother into a gushy sap," Roman's sister said with a laugh as Roman released an audible groan. "I'm Ava. It's nice to meet you."

"Alyssa. It's nice to meet you too Ava. So I turned you into a sap?" Alyssa asked Roman jokingly, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"You're all he talks about whenever I talk to him. Alyssa is so wonderful. Alyssa is such a sweetheart. Alyssa is so-"

"Where is everybody?" Roman interrupted his sister, his face turning a crimson shade. His sister chuckled at his reaction.

"They're in the living room. We're just waiting on you two." Ava moved back from the doorway, allowing Roman and Alyssa to enter the house as she closed the door behind them.

Roman nodded his head as he grabbed Alyssa's hand again, following his sister down the hallway towards the noisy living room. "Relax," he whispered in her ear, attempting to calm her nerves. A few seconds later Roman was swarmed by his family members.

"Good job at Survivor Series brah!"

"You've gotten bigger since I last seen ya!"

"So when are you gonna become World Champion?"

A tiny smile appeared on Alyssa's face as she watched Roman's family clamor over him. Seeing him interact so lovingly with his family made her wish she had the same relationship with hers. The fact that Alyssa felt more comfortable accompanying Roman to his parents' house for Thanksgiving after a few months of dating instead of her own saddened her. Just once she wished that she could have a civil relationship with her mother so she could properly enjoy the holidays back home in Chicago. But Alyssa knew that was just a pipe dream.

The weight of Roman's muscular arms snaking around Alyssa's tiny frame halted her thoughts. She looked up into Roman's smiling face, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering rapidly. "Baby there's somebody I want you to meet," he said as he turned her around. Alyssa swallowed nervously as she came face to face with the elderly couple standing before her. "Mom, Pop this is my girlfriend Alyssa. Alyssa these are my parents, Sika & Patricia."

"It's nice to meet you both," Alyssa greeted as she stuck her hand out. She yelped as Patricia engulfed her in a hug, her brows furrowing in shock.

"Mom is a hugger," Roman explained with a chuckle when he saw Alyssa's face.

"Aww she's more beautiful than you described son!" Patricia exclaimed as she released Alyssa from the hug before she was gathered into another hug by Sika.

"Nice to meet you young lady. Roman has told us many nice things about you," he said as he stepped back. Roman grinned as he wrapped his arm around Alyssa's waist again, pulling her close to his body.

Alyssa glanced up at Roman, smiling. "I hope they were all good things," she joked.

"Nothing but the best sweetheart."

"Well you two can have a seat as I gather everybody else so we can eat," Patricia instructed as she gestured to the large dining table that sat in the dining room.

Alyssa shot Roman a thankful smile as he pulled out the chair for her before he took a seat next to her and placed his hand on her thigh, silently telling her that he was there to support her and keep her calm.

"So Alyssa how did you meet my little brother and manage to wrap him around your finger and get him to stop messing with those airhead divas?" Roman's older brother, Matt, asked as he took a seat next to Alyssa and Roman at the dining room table.

Alyssa laughed as Roman growled at his brother before she shrugged her shoulders. "Well he kept staring at me like a creeper at my best friend's engagement party before he decided to finally approach me. And ever since then, he hasn't been able to get enough of me," she said with a boisterous smile.

"A creeper?" Roman asked, furrowing his brow. "You thought I stared at you like a creeper?"

"It was kinda creepy baby. It's ok I know that was your seductive look." Alyssa patted Roman on the cheek making him purse his lips together. His family members sitting around the table chuckled at the witty banter between the couple.

Roman looked into Alyssa's face, searching for any signs of discomfort. The fact that her sarcastic humor was still intact was a good sign and proved that she was beginning to feel a little bit more comfortable. Alyssa shot him a reassuring smile, telling him that she was fine. Roman leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I told that you had nothing to worry about gorgeous," he whispered causing her to release a relieved sigh from her lips.

* * *

"Thank you again for the help Alyssa," Patricia said to the young woman, a grateful smile on her face. Dinner was finally over and the men were watching a football game in the den while the other women watched a movie in the living room. Instead of joining the movie crew, Alyssa decided to help Patricia clean up.

"No problem ma'am. It's the least I can do after you welcomed me into your home."

Patricia waved Alyssa off with her hand. "Please call me Patricia. Ma'am makes me feel much older than I want to feel," she said making Alyssa chuckle lightly. "I'm just glad that Roman felt comfortable enough to invite you for Thanksgiving dinner and meet his crazy family. You're the first woman he's ever brought home to meet us."

"Yeah I think he told me something like that."

Patricia stood back and watched as Alyssa finished wiping the counters and smiled contently. She liked the woman that she saw before her and could easily see what Roman saw in her as well. Patricia wasn't clueless and knew that her son probably received numerous advances from salacious women to dabble in temptation while he was on the road. But there was something that she saw in Alyssa that told her she wasn't that type of woman. Maybe it was the way she stared at Roman in reverence whenever he talked. Or the way that Roman stared at her out the corner of his eye whenever he thought nobody was looking, an easygoing and goofy grin on his face. It was clear that the woman standing in her kitchen made her baby son happy and that in turn made Patricia happy.

"So tell me Alyssa how do you feel about my son?" Patricia asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Alyssa sighed as she folded the towel she was using neatly and and placed her hands in her back pocket. "He makes me feel like a queen," she replied honestly. "I'm a very cautious person and in the beginning I didn't know what to think of Roman. All I really knew was what I heard backstage and the persona he portrayed on TV. But once I got to know him, I realized that there is much more to him that meets the eye. He's sweet, he's caring, he's understanding, and he makes me laugh. He doesn't push me to do anything I don't want to do but yet he makes sure his opinion is heard. I enjoy every moment I share with him," Alyssa explained as a goofy smirk appeared on her face.

Patricia nodded her head in approval, her lips turning upward in a warm smile. "The way that my son looks at you Alyssa reminds me of something."

"And what's that?"

"The way his father looked at me when we first met," Patricia answered making Alyssa's brown eyes slightly widen. "I'm not saying that you two will end up married tomorrow or in two months or in two years but I know Roman. If he brought you home to meet his family, he definitely sees a future for you two or else he wouldn't waste his time or yours. Honey just enjoy this time in your life with Roman. It won't be easy but if it's meant to be it will be worth it in the end," Patricia told Alyssa as she rubbed her arm gently.

Alyssa inhaled deeply as Patricia left the kitchen, taking in her words. To hear Roman's mother compare the way that he looked at her to the way that Roman's father looked at his wife when they first met blew her mind. While it was still early in their relationship Alyssa couldn't deny that her feelings for Roman grew stronger with each passing day. She was now at a point where she wanted to spend every minute she possibly could with him. Maybe there was a future for them that went beyond dating.

Alyssa shook the thought out of her head as soon as it appeared. _'Don't get ahead of yourself Alyssa,'_ she warned herself. The last time she allowed herself to daydream about the future was the time when she hit rock bottom. She knew that Roman didn't want to date anybody but her and that he would do anything to make Alyssa happy. But she knew that neither her or Roman could stop themselves from being hurt. As quickly as their feelings for the other intensified the quicker they could falter. And that was completely out of their control.

Alyssa's body tensed up as she felt Roman's lips against her cheek. She turned around to see a smiling Roman standing behind her, his grey eyes twinkling. "So how was the talk with my mom gorgeous?"

Alyssa nodded her head. "It was good. Your family was very welcoming," she replied as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She diverted her gaze from Roman's making his brows crinkle in concern.

"Hey are you okay?" Roman asked as he reached for her arm to pull her close. He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah I guess I'm kinda tired. It's been a long day ya know?"

"Well we can leave now if you want and head back to my place," Roman offered, referring to his apartment that he still had in town since he hadn't found a place in Tampa yet.

Alyssa held up her hand and shook her head. "I don't want to shorten your time with your family Roman. Go spend time with them. I'll be fine." Roman shot her a skeptical look and Alyssa responded with a tiny smile. She stood on her tip toes and pecked his cheek. "I'm fine. Really. Go be with your family."

Roman sighed, searching Alyssa's eyes but ultimately deciding not to badger her. He could tell that there was something Alyssa was keeping from him but he decided to drop the issue. He quickly pressed his lips to hers before releasing her from his grasp and exiting the kitchen. Alyssa bit her bottom lip as she leaned back against the counter.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh. R&R**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I usually don't update so quickly but I'm so excited for what's coming up in the story that I couldn't help myself but to hit y'all with another update. **

* * *

Alyssa pinched the bridge of her nose as she listened to her mother rant and rave on the other end of the phone. Needless to say, Alyssa's mother wasn't happy that she skipped out on Thanksgiving dinner with her family. So by the time Alyssa returned to work at the Monday Night Raw live show, her mother was blowing up her phone, anxious to give her a piece of her mind. Alyssa didn't mean to entertain her mother's ire but before she could stop herself, she was telling her mother that she would rather spend her holidays with her boyfriend's family because they treated her nicer than her own mother. That slip of the tongue quickly ignited another argument between the two.

"Why would I ever bring my boyfriend to Chicago to meet you?" Alyssa asked, breaking her silence. "Everybody I've introduced you to you've tore down with your negativity." Alyssa chuckled wryly at her mother as she attempted to defend herself. "That's not true? Every decision I make you hate so I'm sure if you met him you'll find something wrong with him!"

Alyssa started tossing her tools in her small makeup train case, running a hand through her loosely curled hair as her mother continued to berate her. "See this is why I refuse to come home. You haven't even met him and you're already talking shit about him! You're unbelievable!"

Alyssa ended the call and slammed her phone on her vanity table angrily. She closed her eyes as she attempted to regulate her breathing. She couldn't understand why the person that was supposed to be motherly and warm constantly drove her insane. Furthermore, she didn't know why she continued to allow her mother to get under her skin.

Alyssa jumped slightly as she felt a hand on her bare shoulder. She turned around and saw Roman standing behind her, concern shining in his grey eyes. He remained silent before pulling her into a hug, his head resting on top of hers. The two stayed in that position for a few minutes before Alyssa pulled away, wiping the few tears that trickled down her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Roman simply asked.

"My mother drives me fuckin crazy," Alyssa replied shaking her head. "Something I should be used to by now."

Roman frowned slightly as he watched Alyssa straighten up her work area. One trait that he loved and hated about her was her strength. She constantly tried to remain strong in front of him, unwilling to let him see her in shambles. But he wished that she would allow him to be there for her and comfort her when she was upset.

"So are you ready?" he asked as he changed the conversation, watching as she closed her case. The show finally ended and the two made plans earlier that day to grab a bite to eat afterwards before heading to the hotel for the night and making their way to the airport the next morning.

Alyssa nodded her head. Although she was tired and wanted to head straight to her hotel room, maybe some time with Roman would be what she needed. The two hadn't spent any quality time with each other since Thanksgiving, partially due to Alyssa's doing. The talk she had with Roman's mother was still weighing heavily on her mind. As a force of habit, she slowly started to back away from Roman in an effort to slow things down. However, she had to admit that she did indeed miss him.

Alyssa placed her purse on her shoulder and reached for her case. Roman cleared his throat and swatted her hand away.

"Roman we've been through this before. You don't have to-"

"Woman hush. Stop being so independent and let me do something nice and chivalrous for a change," he ordered making Alyssa roll her eyes as they walked towards the exit.

* * *

"And then she said, _'Well since you didn't make it home for Thanksgiving I expect to see you for your birthday and Christmas.'_ She must be extremely crazy if she even thinks for a second I would want to come back to that toxic environment," Alyssa fumed as her and Roman sat across from each other at the small diner around the corner from their hotel.

Roman rubbed Alyssa's hand comfortingly. After an awkward drive, he finally convinced her to reveal the details of the argument she had with her mother. He knew their relationship was extremely damaged and as he sat there listening to his girlfriend describe the latest blowup, he could tell how deeply upset she was about the status of their relationship. But as he stared into her eyes, he could tell that she was extremely hurt as well.

"Baby maybe it's not a bad idea to go spend time with your family for Christmas. I mean we have the show in Chicago the day after so it would be convenient," Roman suggested. "Then you and your mother could try to work out whatever issues you two have."

Alyssa released a cynical chuckle, shaking her head vehemently. "No that will never happen. In her eyes she doesn't think she has any issues. I'm the one with the issues. We're at odds because I didn't follow her path for my life. Anyway any glimmer of hope for a reconciliation between me and my mother was destroyed when-" she trailed off, diverting her gaze to her and Roman's intertwined hands. "You know what I don't wanna talk about her anymore Roman."

"Ok well let's talk about my plans for your birthday," Roman said with a smile as he tried to switch the conversation to a more enjoyable topic.

Alyssa nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. It somewhat slipped Alyssa's mind that her birthday was coming up next week. Growing up, she never looked forward to her birthday like other kids did because she knew that her mother didn't give a damn about them either. That was just another day for her mother to verbally punish her. "I guess. I'm not really looking forward to my birthday."

Roman scowled. "Well aren't you just Miss Mary Sunshine today," he muttered pulling his hand back, slowly growing agitated with Alyssa's negative attitude.

Alyssa rolled her eyes and smacked her lips, crossing her arms across her chest. "Don't start with me."

Roman bit his bottom lip and shook his head. Usually he was able to deal with Alyssa's pessimism whenever it decided to appear. But lately he was growing tired of her doomsday outlook on life as it seemed to pop up more frequently recently. "Look Alyssa ever since we've come back from my parents' house you've had this sour ass attitude. I've been trying to be the understanding boyfriend but it's like the shit isn't working. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Roman asked as he ran a hand over his black tresses. "I try to be there for you but you aren't opening up to me and quite frankly I'm getting tired of the shit."

"Look I'm not trying to get into this argument with you in public Roman. Just drop it," Alyssa requested through clenched teeth.

"No I won't drop it. You never want to get into this conversation with me and have been pushing me away since we got back on the road. Every time I feel that we're making progress, you take 10 steps back. I don't know what's your problem but I damn sure know it couldn't be me because I've been nothing but a great boyfriend to you. Other women would be happy to have a man like me and would appreciate me!"

Alyssa's head snapped back at Roman's outburst. He never raised his voice at her or got angry with her so his behavior was shocking. Maybe there was a valid reason for Roman to feel the way that he did. However, Alyssa was stubborn and wasn't willing to admit that the constant presence of insecurity in their relationship was her fault.

"Oh other women like Summer Rae and those tramps you fucked when you first got here?" Alyssa asked loudly as she stood to her feet. She grabbed her coat and purse, roughly shrugging her coat on her body. "Maybe Summer Rae was right when she said I can't handle a man like you because clearly you're constantly in your feelings and I'm not here to coddle no grown ass fuckin man! You should go find her she's always so happy and shiny and doesn't complain about anything because that's the type of woman you want and need. And I'm sorry but that just ain't me!" Alyssa exclaimed as she stormed out of the diner.

Roman shook his head and growled, silently massaging his temples. He pounded his fist on the table loudly causing the other patrons to jump as a snarl appeared on his face.

* * *

"Roman man what the fuck are ya doing here so late?" Jimmy asked his cousin as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes, adjusting them to the bright hallway light that streamed into his dark hotel room.

Roman stood on the other side of the door, gripping Alyssa's train case with his left hand, his eyes glowering. "Where's Naomi?"

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "She's with Cameron in the fitness center. She hasn't made it back yet."

Roman handed Jimmy the train case roughly, the metal material slamming into his chest. "Tell her to give this to Alyssa will ya," he said before turning around.

Jimmy grabbed his cousin's elbow, stopping him in his tracks. "Roman what the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, noticing the glint of anger in his cousin's eyes. Roman shook his head, unable to speak. To be honest, he himself didn't know what was wrong with him or why him and Alyssa got into the argument. It all just escalated pretty quickly. Jimmy pulled Roman into the room and kicked the door closed. "Lemme guess you and Alyssa had a disagreement?"

"More like an argument," Roman muttered as he began pacing.

"About?"

"About her being so damn negative all the time man! Like I don't fuckin get it. I tried being the understanding, soothing, comforting boyfriend and all she does is fuckin push me away. When we first got together she was cautious, nervous that everything was moving so quickly. Then I thought we got over that. Then after Thanksgiving she started to pull away from me again and when I try to cheer her up or something like that she bites my fuckin head off. I don't have to deal with that drama Jimmy! There are plenty of women that would love to be with me. I'm not about to sit up here and play these games with Alyssa!" Roman ranted, clenching his fists at his side.

Jimmy leaned against the wall watching his cousin's actions before shaking his head with a smirk. Roman stopped pacing and looked at him. "What is so funny?"

"First of all, you can't stop with all that shit about being with other women you know damn well you don't want nobody but Alyssa. I saw it all in your face the first time you approached her at the engagement party and when we were in Miami. You're not fooling anybody. You know your feelings for that girl run deep. Second of all, the way Alyssa is acting sounds perfectly normal to me taking everything into consideration."

"Everything like what?"

"Like the fact that plenty of women would love to be with you for one. She knows you're a fuckin sex symbol in the WWE and that she has to compete with that. She gotta compete with divas, fans, and ring rats. As much as she tries to deny that the idea doesn't bother her, sometimes it does get to her. If anything she's afraid of losing you that's why she pushes you away. I've known Alyssa a long time and I know that she's been through a lot of bullshit. So when she starts to feel really happy and enjoying life, she tends to clam up because she's afraid of losing that happiness because it has happened to her before. Alyssa has never been the one to completely trust somebody. I'm sure there are things Naomi doesn't know about her and that's her best friend. She just tends to internalize a lot of her hurt, anger, and disappointment. And for her to completely trust you with all of her issues is easier said than done because she's been like that for a while," Jimmy explained as he took a seat next to Roman who finally took a seat on the bed. "But I know one thing. That girl cares about you a lot Roman. I see it whenever I see y'all together. Hell I still remember how happy she was for you after Survivor Series because she knew how big of a moment it was for your career. This situation is scary for her though because she can't control it just like it's scary for you because you've never been in this type of situation. Tell me the truth: you care about her don't you?"

Roman nodded his head, a heavy sigh escaping his dry lips as he placed his head in his hands. "Remember when you told me I would know when I would find the woman that I would want to change my life for? Alyssa is that woman."

"Well then man you gotta deal with the bad that happens with the good. You gotta be more understanding and she has to do the same with you. You have to be patient with her. You have to encourage her to improve as a person every day while still accepting the fact that she'll never be perfect. There are times when she's going to be that loving, caring, goofy woman that you care about. And there are gonna be times when she's gonna be that negative, scared, overly cautious woman too. The shit isn't easy but if she's truly the lady that you want to change your life for, then you won't give up on her," Jimmy advised Roman, patting him on the back.

Roman ran his hands over his face, knowing what his cousin was saying was true. He blew up because he didn't understand why Alyssa was pushing him away after what he thought was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with his family. That was one of his pitfalls: his inability to keep his emotions in check. Just like how Alyssa had flaws, he had his flaws as well. But Alyssa never gave him any shit for his or blew up at him because of them.

"When did you become a fuckin relationship expert?" Roman asked with a chuckle, causing Jimmy to do the same.

"When you are with one woman for as long as I've been with Naomi, you start to see things from a different perspective. You start to see things how women see them and that helps you avoid a lot of arguments trust me. Look just make sure you work things out with Alyssa because I'm not trying to break up a fight between my fiancee and cousin because Naomi has already told me she would beat you down if you hurt Alyssa," Jimmy warned with another chuckle. "And I like seeing y'all two together. She's a better fit for you than all those other women you fucked with. She makes you happy and you make her happy despite her not always saying it. I know that for a fact."

Roman nodded his head as he stood up from the bed, engulfing his cousin in a hug. This was exactly the pep talk he needed to help him refocus. He knew if he would've talked to Seth or Dean they would've encouraged him to find a new woman for some simple one night stand pleasure. But he wasn't interested in that. He was beyond having meaningless trysts. The only thing that he was interested in was making things right with Alyssa. He couldn't lose her.

He wouldn't lose her.

* * *

Alyssa exhaled deeply as she wiped away the tears that trailed down her face. It had been over a week since her argument with Roman and to say that she wasn't handling it well would be an understatement. She had been avoiding Roman and her friends since the argument as much as she could. Alyssa knew that with one glance in her eyes, Naomi and Cameron would be able to tell that she was shattered on the inside. However, she didn't want to talk about the argument and didn't want anybody to give her any unwarranted advice. She just wanted to be by herself and wallow in her emotions.

Roman had text and called her a few times since the argument, but she ignored him, unable to bring herself to talk to him. She didn't know what she would say to him. After taking a few days to think about their argument, she finally started to see that she was mostly in the wrong and she couldn't be more upset with herself. Roman was doing his best to make her happy and instead of enjoying it, she constantly pushed him away because she was unable to completely open up to him and feared that she would ultimately end up alone.

And now she was alone.

Alone on her own fuckin birthday.

Alyssa scoffed as she shakily raised her water bottle to her lips, taking a tiny sip before tossing the closed bottle on her nightstand. Another year, another horrible birthday. But this time it was all her fault. If she hadn't been such a bitch to Roman she would be spending her birthday with him. She would finally enjoy a birthday surrounded by her friends and her wonderful man. But because she treated him horribly, she was alone. Alone like she always was and forever would be.

Just like her mother.

The thought simply made Alyssa cringe. She constantly promised herself that she would never end up like her mother: bitter, bitchy, a person that constantly emitted negative energy in whatever situation she was in. She never wanted to be that person but she slowly saw that she was transforming into that person with each passing day.

And that quite frankly scared her.

Roman didn't deserve to be with a person like that. Maybe Summer Rae was right. Maybe Alyssa wasn't the woman for Roman. Maybe she wasn't the woman for any man for that matter.

A loud knock on the door interrupted Alyssa's pity party, her brows knitting together in confusion. Since she was ignoring everybody, she definitely wasn't expecting any company. She quietly disappeared off the face of the earth and she was sure that nobody knew she was there. She quietly sat in her dark apartment hoping the person would leave. But the knocking got louder causing her to groan. Alyssa climbed out of her bed and walked over to the door, smoothing a hand over her loose fitting t-shirt before she swung the door open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the person on the other side of the door.

* * *

**A/N: *disappears into the bushes* **


	13. Chapter 12 Part One

**A/N: I know. I pissed y'all off. *chuckles* I had to break this chapter into two parts since it was like...16 pages long (YIKES!) Lemme just preface this chapter by saying I've NEVER experienced what Alyssa explains in this chapter and had to do some research via Google. But enough of my yapping. As usual thanks for the love & enjoy. **

* * *

Alyssa twiddled with her thumbs as she stared at her bare feet, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. The two of them sat in silence, unable to say anything to the other. What should she say? What should she do? Should she let them talk first? Or should she get everything off her chest that she wanted because she definitely had some things she wanted to vent about. So many thoughts ran rampant in her mind. But at this point no words would come out of her mouth.

"Alyssa look at me."

Alyssa sighed as she looked up, grey eyes stared back at her. Her stomach dropped as she saw the hurt in Roman's stare knowing she was responsible for it.

"I'm sorry," Roman & Alyssa said at the same time, surprising the other.

"What are you sorry about?" Alyssa asked, nervously running a hand through her hair.

"Gorgeous I'm sorry for blowing up at you. I should've understood that you were going through some shit with your mom so your mood wasn't directed towards me but towards her. I should've been more understanding."

"No Roman," Alyssa said with a shake of her head. "I should've been less of a bitch. You've been nothing but understanding since we've been together. But I've been this frigid bitch pushing you away because I didn't want to get too close to you. Not only did I not want to get hurt but I didn't want you to learn my secrets because I was afraid that you would judge me. I was worried that you would use them against me. I was afraid that they would cause you to leave me because you would decide I had too much baggage. I guess the thought of you possibly leaving me didn't hit me until Thanksgiving at your parents' house. When your mother told me that we reminded her of her and your father in the beginning stages, I clammed up. I started thinking that this relationship was moving extremely fast and while I do enjoy it I know if could end as quickly as it started."

Roman grabbed Alyssa's shaking hand and squeezed it tightly, his eyes still locked on hers. "Baby I told you it would take a lot more to drive me away. We all have a past. I know I do. But whatever happened in your past won't stop me from wanting to create a future with you. With the exception of Naomi & Cam, I know you went through your life feeling like you had nobody that truly cared about your desires or didn't support you. But I'm not like your mother. I'll always be here to support you emotionally, comfort you when you're hurting, and laugh with you when you're happy."

A few tears trailed down Alyssa's face before the sobs escaped her lips. Roman pulled her close to his body making her sob harder. He patted her back softly as her tears stained his white t-shirt, his hand running over her wild hair that she hadn't brushed in days. "I'm not going anywhere. You can trust me Alyssa."

"You don't know that Roman. We've only been together for such a short amount of time. How could you be so sure that you won't leave?"

"That's the thing about me Alyssa. I don't let time dictate how I should feel about a person. So I don't look at the fact that my feelings for you are so intense after a few months of dating as a bad thing. To me it's a sign that you were the woman that was meant to be in my life. Instead of focusing on how much time we've known each other, let's focus on how much we've learned about each other since that night we ran into each other. The fact that my mother said what she said to you speaks volumes about the connection that we have with one another after a short period of time. But I'm not complaining about that." Roman pulled away, peering into Alyssa's teary eyes. "Stop looking for an excuse as to why we can't work and let everything develop naturally no matter how fast the pace seems."

Alyssa nodded her head, biting her lip. "Why are you even here?"

"I tried calling you but you didn't answer. I was worried about you so I drove down here to check on you. And to fix us. I refuse to lose you. And I'm not gonna lose you either Alyssa. But baby you gotta meet me half way. Are you ready to trust me completely and connect with me on a mental and emotional level? Because that's the only way that our relationship will flourish. I'm ready to put that type of work in but you have to be as well."

Alyssa took another deep breath before she removed her hand from Roman's grasp. She walked over to the small bookcase that stood in the corner of her living room area. She sat back down next to Roman with two pictures in her hand and passed them to him. Roman looked down at the pictures. The first one was a picture of a younger Alyssa with another man, the wide grin & arm encircling her waist tipping him off that he was her ex. He glanced at the second picture before looking up at Alyssa, his brow raised curiously awaiting Alyssa's explanation.

"The first picture is a picture that I took with my ex fiancee Justin during our engagement photo shoot. The second photo is a sonogram of our daughter that I miscarried," Alyssa explained, her voice soft and almost inaudible. "I met Justin a few years after I dropped out of college. I was a struggling freelance makeup artist working at some fast food restaurant to make ends meet since my mama cut me off. I met Justin one day when he came in to use the bathroom and it was a whirlwind romance from that point. In my eyes, he was the closest thing to Prince Charming that a woman could ask for: handsome, charismatic, suave, and successful. He was a junior partner at a law firm in Chicago but he didn't care about my choice of career. That didn't matter to him and he didn't judge me for choosing it as a career. So after about a year or so of dating he proposed to me and promised to take care of me. He promised to build a family with me that I so desperately wanted because I never had that with my own fucked up relatives. So of course I said yes. I quickly quit my job and moved in with him and he took care of me. I was so happy that it looked like my life was finally starting to improve. Even my mama liked him. That's probably because he was a lawyer and could financially support me," Alyssa said with a wry smile.

She looked up and saw that Roman was intently listening to her story before continuing. "So everything was great until I caught him cheating on me. I was fuckin devastated Roman. He had made all these promises to me yet they were all lies. I realized he was a liar and a predator that pounced on my insecurities and worked them to his advantage. Despite my mother's urging, I broke it off with him and went back to the reality of having to take care of myself. Then a few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant." Alyssa shook her head, the memory of the day replaying in her mind. "The news was bittersweet. I always wanted children but I wanted them after I was married. I've seen how children are negatively effected when their parents aren't together and I didn't want that for my child. But Roman, I couldn't bare the thought of aborting my child. So I swallowed my pride and I reconciled with Justin."

Alyssa stood up and started pacing in front of her bed on her wobbly legs, keeping her eyes diverted from Roman's gaze. "The first few months of the pregnancy were pretty drama free. Before I knew it, I started falling back in love with Justin and started looking forward to finally building a family with him. That man had my nose wide open but I couldn't see how naive I was being because all I could think was he was so damn perfect. But Roman I always had a nagging voice whispering to me that I couldn't trust Justin. The voice continued to tell me that the only reason he was with me was for our child and he didn't care about me at all. But instead of listening to my gut, I chose to remain there with him. However, I started to stress about what I thought would happen. I started becoming paranoid. I was checking his phone whenever he went to the shower. I would smell his clothes before he washed them. I pretty much did anything I could do to see if he was cheating on me again."

"One night he came home late from work and I snapped. We got into a big argument. I accused him of cheating again and he called me a delusional, bitter bitch like my mama and we kept arguing and yelling at each other. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my stomach," Alyssa said with a grimace as she grabbed her stomach, the vision flooding back to her. "I thought it was gas but then the pain hit me again. And again. And again. When I looked down, I was horrified to see all this blood dripping on the floor. In the back of my head, I knew what was happening but I didn't want to accept it. So Justin rushed me to the hospital. I remember laying in the hospital bed asking God to make sure everything would be okay with my baby. I knew that I was in the predicament I was in because of my own foolishness but I promised God if he spared my daughter I would spend my whole life trying to become a better person and resolve things with my family and Justin. But it was too late. A few hours later the doctor told me and Justin that I miscarried the baby."

Roman inhaled sharply as he watched Alyssa wipe her tears away with her jittery hand.

"After that everything was a blur honestly. Justin, like I predicted, left. Not only was he off the hook, he blamed me for the miscarriage. Told me if I wasn't delusional and dealing with trust issues our baby would still be alive. My mother, who I was finally starting to rebuild my relationship with, blamed me for everything as well."

"What the fuck?" Roman asked angrily, breaking his silence as his blood started to boil. "She should've been there for you especially at a time like that."

Alyssa nodded her head in agreement, shrugging her shoulders. "That would've been the right thing to do but it didn't happen. She blamed me for Justin leaving me and told me I should've looked the other way and not piss him off as much as I did. She told me that I was doomed to be alone for the rest of my life because I wouldn't find anybody better than Justin: a lawyer that lowered his standards for some flakey ass makeup artist I believe were her exact words. So once again, I was alone. I had nobody to comfort me as I mourned the loss of my baby or my engagement. Nobody offered to help me pay my hospital bills. I was completely alone," Alyssa said with a sigh.

"A few months later I got a call from Naomi who by that time was with WWE and was on her way to Chicago for a show. We had briefly kept in touch since college but hadn't seen each other in a while. So when she invited me to the show, I went. That was the same night I did Stephanie's makeup. And a few weeks later, I was blessed with the job offer. Once I got the offer I immediately jumped at it because it was clear that nothing was left for me in Chicago. So I got as far away as I could. The only shit waiting for me in Chicago is heartache and a mother that blames me for my own miscarriage."

Alyssa exhaled deeply and folded her arms in front of her chest. "After my miscarriage, I was in such a dark place. I had nobody. One moment, my life was great. I had a man that I thought loved me and wanted to build a family with me. I was finally starting to create the type of relationship that I longed to have with my mother. But then it all exploded and I ended up all by myself. That experience scarred me in ways that I couldn't even imagine. It even took me months to confide in Naomi and Cameron what happened because I didn't trust anybody. So when I pull away from you, it's not because you did something wrong Roman. Because you've been wonderful during this entire time. I'm just fuckin terrified of things blowing up in my face again. I don't know if I can handle that again," Alyssa confessed as she nervously looked down at her feet.

Roman raised from his seat on Alyssa's bed, standing in front of her petite frame. He lifted her head with the knuckle of his index finger. "First of all, thank you for trusting me enough to share that with me. I know it was difficult for you to relive that. Secondly, don't blame yourself for your miscarriage or the fact that your engagement ended. Yes you did some things that you're not proud of but neither is entirely your fault so don't let your mother or your ex convince you otherwise."

"Thank you," Alyssa replied softly.

"And third of all, I just want to repeat that even after hearing that story, hearing about everything you went through, I'm still not going anywhere. I can see why the idea of commitment and simply trusting somebody scares you but it shouldn't when it comes to us. I'm not Justin and I'm not your mother. I'm not gonna toss you to the side when things get tough because I'm not that type of man. As you can see I'm willing to fight for something that I care about and believe in. I'm not going to remove you from my life because you have flaws and a past because shit I have them too. But you've learned to still accept me despite them so I'm willing to accept you as well. I'm here to stay with you and support you gorgeous. As long as you'll have me I'm yours. I believe in our connection too much for me to just let you go so easily. The question is do you feel the same? Can you let go of this pain that you've been carrying around for the past few years to give us a fair shot? Are you ready to stop letting your past heartache handicap you from accepting the happiness that you're worthy of? Alyssa I need to know are you able to fully believe in us and our future because I know I damn sure am," Roman proclaimed, his calloused fingertips softly stroking Alyssa's cheek.

Alyssa stared into Roman's intense grey orbs. She had a wonderful man still wanting to be with her despite her multiple attempts to push him away and the baggage she possessed from her past. He still adored her. He still wanted her. And she would be lying if she said she didn't want the same. Before meeting Roman, she was afraid that her mother's prediction would become a reality. She was afraid that she wouldn't find another man that came close to what Justin was because she wasn't worthy to have such a man in her life.

But as Roman stood before her willing to fight for her, she realized that simply wasn't true. Instead of finding a man that came close to Justin, she found one that was better than him in every aspect. She was definitely worthy to have a man like Roman in her life and it was about time she saw that instead of letting her past romantic failures sabotage her happiness.

"Yes," she uttered softly causing Roman to release a sigh of relief.

Roman smiled widely as he hugged Alyssa tightly, his muscular arms engulfing her tiny body. Alyssa allowed her body to relax in his embrace, relieved that she finally had the weight of her past off her shoulders. Roman pulled away and kissed her softly, happy to feel her lips on his again. His thumb absentmindedly stroked her cheek as she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself. He ended the kiss, his forehead pressed against hers.

"Get dressed. I got something I want to show you."

"What? Where are we going?" Alyssa asked, her brow raising inquisitively.

"Just trust me and go get dressed," Roman said with a smirk.

* * *

**A/N: R&R :-)**


	14. Chapter 12 Part Two

**A/N: Thanks for the love for the last update. This is Part 2 of Chapter 12...and this is what we've been waiting for. Warning: Ovaries may bust by the end of this chapter. Enjoy :-)**

* * *

A couple of hours later, Roman & Alyssa sat on the hardwood floor of his new penthouse apartment, styrofoam containers of buffalo wings and fries surrounding the couple. As they made small talk while eating their food, Alyssa took a look around the apartment. The floors throughout the apartment were a gorgeous dark hardwood with a spacious kitchen and living room. Straight ahead of the living room was a balcony that overlooked the beach and the ocean with a breathtaking view greeting her. As the two of them sat on the floor in the living room, the double balcony doors were left slightly ajar allowing the cool December breeze to enter the apartment.

"So what do you think of my new place?" Roman asked, leaning his body weight on his elbow as he looked at Alyssa, popping another boneless wing in his mouth.

"It's very nice. Makes my place look like a hut. But I think it'll be nicer once you get some furniture so we won't have to sit on this hard ass floor," Alyssa teased with a tiny smile, gesturing around the empty apartment.

Roman grinned, happy to see her smile and her sarcastic sense of humor had returned, two things that he missed terribly after their argument. He didn't have time to purchase any furniture since he just signed the lease the day before but wanted Alyssa to be the first person he showed the place to. "Well that's where you come in and help me decorate it. I'm horrible at that type of shit," he admitted.

"Are you sure you wanna give me that type of power?" Alyssa asked with a playful smirk as she stood to her feet, grabbing the styrofoam boxes off the floor. She headed to the kitchen and placed the boxes in the refrigerator as Roman watched her move around. He observed how the moonlight illuminated her frame that was adorned in a simple pink and white sundress with a matching white lightweight cardigan, the perfect outfit for the mild Tampa weather. Roman never seen a woman look so beautiful in such a simple outfit like she did that night. But Alyssa had the ability to look good in anything she wore.

By the time Alyssa joined him again on the floor and handed him one of the beers that she held, Roman passed her a gift bag. She looked up at him with curious eyes. "You didn't think I would forget your birthday did you?" he asked making her smile.

A rosy pink blush decorated Alyssa's cheeks. After the way they ended things last time they were together, she didn't think Roman would be gracious enough to buy her a present. She opened the bag and chuckled when she pulled out Roman's Hounds of Justice shirt that she wore the night they spent together in Miami. Roman took a sip of his beer as he watched her unfold the shirt, a note falling to the floor. Alyssa glanced at Roman questioningly before picking the note up and opening it.

_Gorgeous,_

_As I write this note my emotions are a jumbled mess. We're currently not talking and the shit is killing me. I miss you. I miss your laugh, I miss the way you roll your eyes when you're agitated with Naomi & Cam for teasing you about me, I miss the sparkle in your eye whenever you look my way. I just miss everything about you. I definitely shouldn't have snapped at you but I'm so damn frustrated. I'm trying so hard to make our relationship work but on one hand it seems like you're not interested in that and you want to keep me at arm's length. But on the other hand I know that isn't true because your actions tell me otherwise. So I'm not giving up on us. I refuse to lose you because of a stupid fight. I don't want any other woman and I'm not willing to let go of one of the best things that has happened to me in a while._

_I bet you're wondering why I decided to give you this t-shirt. Besides the fact that you look way better than I ever did in this damn shirt, this shirt reminds me of the night that we decided to make things official between us. Alyssa on that night I came to the realization that I want a future with you. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. But I do know that I want you by my side and nobody else. And I hope that one day, you'll be my wife and the mother of my children. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking it's too soon for me to say that. It needs to happen after a certain required timeframe. But I don't operate under that logic and I can't help but feel what I feel. I just hope by the time you read this you'll feel the same too._

Alyssa glanced up from the letter, her eyes locking with Roman's as emotions floated through her body. Did he really say what she think he said? He wanted a future with her? He saw her possibly being the mother of his children someday? How did this happen?

A few tears trailed down her face and landed on the note as the two sat there in silence. Roman scooted closer to Alyssa and wiped her tears away, cupping her chin in his hand. "I don't give a fuck about your baggage or flaws. I know you're used to people leaving you and not being there for you. But I refuse to be one of those people. I've never felt this strongly about a woman before especially in such a short amount of time. But you're different than any woman that I've met."

"Why me?" Alyssa asked as her voice broke.

"Why not you babe? You're caring, intelligent, charismatic, gorgeous, funny. You're the type of woman that I would want to build a family with and change my life for." Roman took a deep sigh as his hand cupped the side of Alyssa's face. "I'm falling in love with you."

Alyssa exhaled sharply, her brown orbs widening in shock. Love? He loved her? Even after all the things she told him, he still loved her. Alyssa shook her head, unable to wrap her mind around his confession. Her glossed lips parted, ready to tell him that he didn't know what he was saying and he was just living in the moment. This was too soon.

But as she felt him squeeze her hand causing her to look back into his face, the butterflies appeared in her stomach. She realized that this wasn't a rash declaration on his part but it was completely true. Despite her imperfections, he was in love with her. A wave of emotions coursed through her mind. Fear. Caution. Happiness. Relief. As a few more tears cascaded down her face, Alyssa silently declared to let go of the past and to take the leap of faith that Roman's mother urged her to take.

"I love you too," she replied softly after a few minutes of awkward silence, making a wide grin appear on Roman's face.

Roman pulled Alyssa close to him, his arms wrapping around her body and holding her in place. He pecked Alyssa's lips gingerly, her salty tears falling on both their lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her slender fingers tangling in his dry, loose black hair causing him to groan inside her mouth. He lifted her body into his lap, keeping the kiss intact as it slowly turned passionate. His fingers danced on her exposed thighs making goosebumps form on her skin. He bit her bottom lip softly and Alyssa moaned as their tongues began to twist with one another's. Roman's left hand cupped Alyssa's ass, his penis twitching as he didn't feel any cloth covering her ass.

Roman pulled away from Alyssa, his breathing ragged as he ran a finger over her swollen lips. The desire blazed in his eyes as he held her gaze. He needed her. He wanted her. And he could tell that her emotions mirrored his. "Alyssa are you sure?" he asked softly, needing to hear her confirmation before he lost himself into the throes of passion. Alyssa nodded her head urging him to continue.

Roman's lips crashed onto Alyssa's, capturing her mouth in a fiery kiss. His hand traveled to the front of her dress, pushing it slowly to the top of her thighs. Alyssa sucked in a breath as she felt Roman's right index finger lightly brush across her clit, the movement triggering her juices to instantly form in between her folds.

"Mmm Roman," Alyssa purred, her tongue circling his ear lightly before she softly bit the soft flesh. He growled lowly as he slapped her ass with his free hand, making her quietly yelp. She stared into his eyes as he continued to rub her clit, a tingle running through her body at his hungry stare. Roman pulled his hand away from her mound and grabbed the bottom of her dress, tugging the article of clothing over her head and revealing her naked body.

Roman gently laid Alyssa down on the hardwood floor, the cool wood causing her body to shiver. Roman propped himself up in a planking position, his grey orbs drinking in the sight before him. Alyssa didn't have any ounce of fat on her and all of her body parts were the perfect size for her petite frame. He bit the corner of his lips as she squirmed underneath his gaze as the cool air caused her nipples to slightly harden. Roman pulled his t-shirt over his head and met Alyssa's lips for another breathtaking kiss. Alyssa wrapped her slim legs around his midsection, her hand tracing his muscular arms as she squeezed them with all her might. He placed a quick peck on the space a few inches below her ear before biting the same spot. Alyssa whimpered as he moved his attention to her collarbone, licking the hollow area before blowing his breath on the wet spot causing her to shiver once again. Roman's tongue created a trail down towards her chest. He kissed the valley between her breasts prior to his tongue darting out and licking her left breast, his tongue twirling around the nipple. Roman softly nipped the sensitive body part before he engulfed the nub in his mouth and sucking on it. Alyssa moaned again as he completed the same action with her other breast as his hand cupped her left one, his thumb playing with her already hardened nipple.

Roman glanced up and shot Alyssa a crooked smile as his tongue created another path to her navel. He lightly nipped the skin above her navel as his hands applied loose pressure on her thighs to keep them pried open. His head dipped lower as he placed butterfly soft kisses on her thighs, the intoxicating scent of her berry scented body wash wafting to his nostrils and dizzying him. His eyes looked back at Alyssa and he winked.

"Oooh shit Roman!" Alyssa softly exclaimed as his tongue brushed against her clit briefly. She automatically lifted her hips in an effort to push her passion mound closer to his mouth. Roman placed his forearm across her pelvis and pushed her back onto the floor.

"Patience gorgeous. We got all night," Roman assured her before returning his attention to her pussy.

His tongue snaked out his mouth and slid up her slit, tasting her wetness. A groan slipped from his lips as he indulged himself in her essence. Alyssa's taste was indescribable but it was one that he knew he would never get enough of. Roman's tongue started to circle Alyssa's clit in the shape of the number eight as his thick index finger slipped inside of her causing her to wince softly at the intrusion. He pumped his finger in and out of her slowly, growling in anticipation as her muscles clamped on his finger. He slipped a second finger inside making Alyssa's eyes roll to the back of her head, her breathing becoming hitched as her lips parted slightly.

"How does that feel?" Roman whispered, the low octave of his voice making Alyssa feel more light headed.

"Wonderful," Alyssa replied curtly. Roman smiled as he continued to feast on her, burying his head in between her legs once more. Alyssa's head tossed from side to side as she heard Roman moan while he pleasured her. He was driving her insane and she was slowly approaching the end of the cliff.

"Baby I'm about to cum," she whispered, her voice raspy and breathless.

"Go ahead babe. Lemme drink these delicious juices up."

Alyssa groaned as she felt her kegel muscles and lower ab muscles squeeze involuntarily, the eruption traveling through her legs. Alyssa's eyes clenched closed as the orgasm hit her with a brute force, her hips swiftly raising as her upper body raised from the floor.

"FUCK ROMAN!" she screamed as her juices flowed into Roman's awaiting mouth. Her body continued to thrash around as she rode the blissful orgasmic wave. Once her body calmed down from the release, Roman lifted his head and quickly captured Alyssa's lips. Alyssa grabbed his belt buckle and pulled at it.

"You have on too many clothes Mr. Reigns," she chided with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Roman's signature crooked smirk appeared on his lips as he quickly unbuckled his belt and shrugged his jeans off his legs, leaving him in nothing but his gray boxer briefs. Alyssa reached down and lightly squeezed his hardened twitching penis through the fabric, a gasp tumbling from her lips at Roman's size. "That's for me baby?" she asked coyly as she seductively bit her bottom lip.

"Only for you gorgeous," Roman growled, the desire to be planted inside of her swelling.

Alyssa's fingers slipped inside the elastic waistband of Roman's boxers, pulling them down his muscular legs. She sighed happily once the throbbing penis was revealed to her. "Damn," she muttered reaching down and swiping the precum that dripped from the head of his penis. She placed her index finger in her mouth, sucking the liquid off, her stare remaining fixed on Roman's.

"Fuckin sexy as hell," Roman mumbled before kissing her again, an act that he could do over and over again. Alyssa arched her back slightly, her hand stroking Roman's penis slowly.

"Baby I need to feel you inside me," Alyssa whispered.

Roman's hand grabbed the base of his penis as his other one pushed Alyssa's legs apart. She laid back on the floor and helped Roman enter her awaiting body. A soft gasp filled the air at the sensation of Roman stretching her out as he eased inside. It had been years since she been with a man in this nature and she almost forgot how it felt. Her eyes clenched closed as Roman adjusted himself, his groans at how tight she was invading her ears like sweet music.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he slowly stroked, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah. It's just been a while," Alyssa admitted. She shivered when Roman reached out and caressed her face with his calloused fingertips.

"Just breathe and relax Alyssa. I won't hurt you."

Alyssa sighed deeply as she opened her eyes again and discovered Roman staring at her intently, love and sincerity glimmering in his grey orbs. She nodded her head. "I know."

With one final slow stroke, Roman finally situated himself fully inside Alyssa. His shoulders sagged as he felt her sex engulf him like a vice grip. He grabbed Alyssa's right leg and placed it on his shoulder and nestled himself inside her thighs. His pace quickened as he began to thrust inside of her, his passion for the woman laying on his living room floor intensifying. As his hand dropped between their legs and his thumb brushed against her clit, Roman couldn't wrap his head around how tight and moist she was. He fit inside her perfectly as if she was made specifically for him.

"Babe you feel so great," Roman grumbled as his strokes became quicker. Her moans filled his ears and caused his penis to swell inside of her. His eyes rolled backwards as he felt her kegel muscles squeeze him as she began to match his thrusts with her own. His breath got caught in his throat as they continued to move in unison, their bodies meshing into one.

"Roooooomaaaannnn," Alyssa whimpered softly. It amazed her how Roman knew exactly how to move in order to please her on their first time together. She didn't have to coach him on what she liked. He already knew and that turned her on even more. Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides as she felt tingles appear in her toes and slowly creep up her leg, indicating the slow arrival of another intense release. "ROMAN!" she screamed as another orgasm washed over her body making her fall apart before his eyes.

Roman nibbled his bottom lip furiously as he watched his beautiful girlfriend experience her second orgasm. The way her mouth opened slightly as she screamed his name, the way her face contorted with pleasure drove him insane. He was going to lose it soon but their time together couldn't end just yet.

Roman leaned forward and placed soft kisses on Alyssa's face as she calmed down from her orgasm as he pulled his penis out of her. He stood up, pulling Alyssa up with him, his arm steadying her on her wobbly legs. He grabbed her hand and led her to the balcony, a mischievous glint in his grey eyes. Once outside, he stood behind her, his large hands caressing her hips as his bare chest rubbed against her back.

"Hold onto the banister gorgeous," Roman instructed as he placed kisses along her neck.

Alyssa glanced over her shoulder, realization of what was about to occur settling inside her mind. She winked at him before leaning against the banister, her hands firmly gripping the rail. Roman stood behind her as he stroked his penis, licking his lips at the sight in front of him. He leaned forward and kissed her tailbone, his lips traveling the length of her spine. Alyssa quickly sucked in a breath. He gently spread her legs apart and entered her from behind.

Alyssa winced as she felt his full length inside of her, feeling him reach her stomach. However, this time she was more comfortable with the invasion. His girth stretched her out once again as he pumped in and out of her agonizingly slow.

"Faster," Alyssa requested quietly, her breathing ragged.

Roman obliged her request and increased his speed, trying not to think about how perfect she felt so he wouldn't end their time together prematurely. He gripped her hips tightly as she started to move her hips along with him, arching her back so that his penis could hit her most sensitive spot. Sounds of slapping flesh soon accompanied her moans and his growls. Roman licked his lips as his right hand gripped her by her hair, pulling her neck back towards him.

"You're driving me fuckin crazy Alyssa," he muttered, sweat gathering on his chest while his tongue danced on her skin behind her earlobe.

Alyssa quietly yelped as he slapped her ass with his free hand. Every move Roman did and every time he touched her, a brand new fire was ignited inside of her. Alyssa had never felt so amorous and loved like she was right now. Alyssa bit the corner of her lip. "Slap my ass again," she begged.

Roman slapped her ass roughly causing her to whimper once again, getting turned on by her erotic request. She released her hand from the balcony and started rubbing her clit furiously in an attempt to intensify the third orgasm that was headed her way. She clenched her kegel muscles on Roman's penis as she slowly rotated her hips resulting in him slapping her ass again, this time louder and harder.

"You like that baby?" she asked breathlessly, a smirk adorning her full lips.

"I fuckin love it," he grunted. "Rub that clit for me baby. I want you to cum all on my dick again."

Roman's carnal talk made Alyssa's brown eyes glaze over as she rubbed her clit faster, her finger moving in circular motions on the small bundle of nerves. She felt her thighs tighten as her right leg began to tremble.

"Baby I'm cummin!" Alyssa screamed out as her orgasm crashed into her, not caring who heard her. Her body convulsed involuntarily, her kegel muscles clenching Roman's penis inside of her, attempting to milk him for his hot seed. Roman's motions became more erratic behind her and Alyssa knew he was close. She slammed her ass into Roman, wanting to make him reach his peak as a payback of making her have three orgasms.

"Cum for me handsome," she encouraged. "Cum for me Roman."

A loud roar erupted from Roman's throat as he exploded inside of Alyssa, filling her with his warm semen. His thrusts slowed down before stopping altogether. The two of them remained in their position as their juices mixed together, slipping out of Alyssa and landing on her thigh.

Roman pulled out of her and placed feathery kisses on Alyssa's spine again, making her body shiver as she remained slumped over. After a few minutes of trying to control her breathing, Roman wrapped his muscular arm around her waist and turned her to face him. Her arms snaked around his neck as he pecked her forehead and cheeks before his lips landed on hers. Alyssa stood on her tip toes as she kissed him back, the kiss filled with gratitude, desire, and most importantly love.

Roman bent down and scooped Alyssa in his arms. He walked back into his apartment and kicked the balcony door closed. The couple quietly walked upstairs to his bedroom, the only room that had furniture. Roman gently placed Alyssa's body on the bed before climbing in next to her. Alyssa snuggled her body closer to his and placed kisses on his tribal tattoo as she pushed her messy black hair out of her face. Roman's fingers lazily outlined the curve of her backside, a sense of relaxation invading his body.

"I love you so much," Alyssa proclaimed after a few moments of silence, her voice cracking with emotion.

"I love you too gorgeous. Happy birthday." Roman leaned down and placed a kiss to her temple as her head rested on his chest, her eyes easing closed.

* * *

**A/N: R&R :-)**


	15. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks for the love for the last chapter. First time writing a love scene and I have to say I enjoyed every moment of it especially when the subject is Roman Reigns. GAH! But anywhoo, new chapter. **

* * *

The delicious scent of bacon made Alyssa's eyes flutter open. She laid in the bed for a few minutes as she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings before her memory flooded back to her, a tiny smile appearing on her face. Last night was beyond perfect. She couldn't believe that she was able open up to Roman about everything, confess her love for him, and end the night making love with him for the first time. The tiny smile widened as a soft giggle escaped her lips. She couldn't stop cheesing or giggling. She couldn't help but be happy.

It was such a foreign concept to Alyssa. She had been in such a bitter funk for the past three years but now that fog was removed from her life and replaced with bright rays of hope. Ever since that random run in she had with Roman a few months ago backstage, Alyssa was shown how it felt to be truly loved and cared for by a man, something she wouldn't have guessed would've happened when she first left Chicago.

But she was ecstatic it happened.

Alyssa rolled out of Roman's bed, searching for something to cover her naked body with. Finally deciding on one of Roman's t-shirts that was lying next to her on the bed, she pulled her hair into a sloppy top bun, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She quietly walked towards the adjoining bathroom and glanced in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the happy tears that dispensed from her eyes the night before but a permanent grin was stuck on her face.

"Alyssa where are you?" Roman's deep voice called as he walked into the bedroom.

"I'm in the bathroom," she replied as she turned on the faucet. The door opened and Roman appeared behind her. Alyssa watched in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his bare chest against her back. He pulled her body into his, groaning as her bare ass made contact with his crotch. Roman leaned down and pecked her cheek, his mouth swiftly moving towards her neck causing Alyssa to tilt her head to the side.

"Good morning," Roman mumbled against her skin, the vibrations sending a chill down Alyssa's spine.

"Morning. I would kiss you but morning breath is so not sexy." She giggled as Roman smirked.

"Good thing I went and got you some hygiene items before you got up then." Roman gestured to the CVS bag on the counter. Alyssa peaked inside the bag, impressed and grateful that he bought her the essentials she would need to make herself somewhat presentable. A tiny smile appeared on her face as she saw he remembered the items she used from the time he spent the night at her place a month ago.

"You think of everything huh Mr. Reigns?"

Roman shrugged his shoulders as he unraveled Alyssa from his grasp so she could brush her teeth. He leaned against the wall behind her, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her bend over closer to the sink. Even fresh out the bed, she was gorgeous to him and he wanted to place kisses all over her body. He uneasily cleared his throat as his eyes watched his oversized shirt she wore start to rise, revealing a tiny peak of her bare ass.

A few seconds later, Alyssa turned the water off and whirled around to face him with a grin. She gestured for him to step closer to her with a bend of her index finger. Once in front of her, Alyssa's hands gripped Roman's biceps as she elevated herself on her tip toes to peck him on the lips. Roman growled against her mouth as he placed his hands underneath her butt cheeks and lifted her body up easily, placing her on the sink countertop. Alyssa's tongue sneaked out of her mouth and attempted to pry Roman's lips apart, desperately needing to feel his own tongue. She soon got her wish as their tongues intertwined with one another's, Alyssa moaning satisfactorily at the contact. Roman scooted closer in between her legs and pressed his crotch against her core making her moan louder. Alyssa pulled away with a coy smirk, her chest raising rapidly as her fingers touched her swollen lips.

"I wish I could wake up like this every day," she said with a laugh making Roman chuckle as well.

"Me too gorgeous. How do you feel? How did you sleep? "

"I slept fine. And I feel incredible."

"I hope I had something to do with that."

Alyssa nodded her head as her hands twirled in Roman's loose waves, her eyes boring into him. "You have everything to do with that handsome."

Roman bit the corner of his bottom lip and grinned, stepping away from Alyssa as he helped her down. He too felt fantastic after the night the two shared and his happiness was amplified when he woke up that morning with his arms wrapped around her frame. Unbeknownst to Alyssa, Roman laid in the bed for a few minutes, gazing at her as she slept as he arrived to the conclusion that he was indeed a lucky man if not the luckiest in the world at that moment. The fact that they were able to take the next step in solidifying their love for each other last night meant so much to him and he knew she felt the same.

"I hope you're hungry because I slaved over the stove all morning to cook you a decent meal before we head back to your place to grab your stuff so we can catch our plane," Roman said as he pushed open the bathroom door.

Alyssa gasped quietly as she saw the breakfast tray waiting for her on the bed. A plate full of bacon, skillet potatoes, french toast and a cup of fruit was placed on the tray next to a glass of orange juice. Roman continued to be full of surprises and she loved every minute of it. Alyssa's smile slightly fell as the realization of what he just said hit her. She had enjoyed her time with Roman so much she forgot that they had to go back on the road today.

"Do we haaaavvveee to go back?" she whined as Roman lead her to the bed by her hand.

He chuckled again as he sat down on the bed before pulling Alyssa between his legs. "As much as I would love to stay here and watch you parade around in all of my t-shirts, yes we have to go back Alyssa," he said as she pouted causing him to chuckle harder. "Anyway you know you want to get back to see Naomi & Cameron before they send out the FBI to find you."

Alyssa lightly slapped her forehead, quickly remembering that she hadn't seen her friends in a while due to her going into seclusion after her argument with Roman. "Yeah I'm sure they'll have a million questions for me. Especially Cameron's nosey self."

"And I was thinking that I could take you out for a real birthday dinner tonight. I don't feel right just giving you buffalo wings and fries," Roman said as Alyssa held a piece of bacon up to his mouth that he happily accepted.

"Roman you don't have to take me out to dinner. Last night was more than wonderful. I really enjoyed the dinner, the present, and the dessert," Alyssa said wiggling her eyebrows.

"I'm sure you did the way you were moaning and begging me to slap you on the ass last night. I didn't know you were such a freak and liked it rough Miss Stewart."

Alyssa slapped Roman's forearm playfully, memories flooding back to her from the night before as a rosy blush appeared on her cheeks. "But you love it Mr. Reigns. Don't try to deny it," she teased as she ground her ass into Roman's crotch.

"Woman don't you start," Roman growled seductively as he squeezed her hips making Alyssa giggle.

"But Roman you don't have to take me to dinner. You've already went above and beyond for me. I don't want to get too spoiled now."

"Hey now that you're with me you're just going to have to get used to be spoiled sweetheart. So just accept it and enjoy it. And I want to make sure that this is the best birthday you've ever had." Roman leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, his mouth moving closer to her ear. "Can I do that for you gorgeous?" he whispered softly as his voice dropped an octave.

Alyssa sharply exhaled as she felt Roman's breath tickling her skin, her heartbeat increasing. She nodded her head, unable to formulate any sentences at that time. She leaned backwards into his body, his arms wrapping around her waist as they finished their breakfast quietly.

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Naomi & Cameron exclaimed as Alyssa walked into the makeshift cafeteria. Alyssa clutched her chest in shock as she stumbled backwards before her two friends engulfed her in a tight hug. Alyssa rolled her eyes playfully at their dramatics although she couldn't deny that she was happy to see them. She hadn't seen them since the night she had the argument with Roman and she knew that they would bombard her with a million questions as to why that was.

Alyssa laughed when Naomi strapped a party hat on her head as she handed her one of the chocolate cupcakes they bought her. "Is this really necessary?" Alyssa asked as she glanced up at the cone shaped hat.

"Seeing as it's your birthday yes it's very necessary. Now girl where the hell you been?" Cameron asked, placing a hand on her hip as she looked her friend up and down inquisitively.

Alyssa bit her bottom lip as she took a seat at an empty table. "Long story that I don't feel like getting into. Let's just say I needed some alone time."

"So is everything with you and Roman okay?" Naomi asked her friend. Unlike Cameron, she knew that Roman and Alyssa had a disagreement since Jimmy told her about it. But instead of getting involved like she wanted to, she decided to stand back and let the two of them work things out. She hoped that the resolution would bring them closer together and help Alyssa finally overcome that hurdle that stood in her way to find true happiness.

"Whatcha mean is everything with her and Roman okay?" Cameron asked as she glanced between Naomi & Alyssa. Once she saw the uneasy gaze the two shared, she placed a hand on her head. "Girl what the hell happened?"

"Nothing worth mentioning. It was a stupid argument but it was honestly one of the best things that could've happened to us. Roman came by my place last night and we hashed things out," Alyssa explained as she took a bite out of her cupcake. "And I found the courage to reveal my past to him."

"Which would be?"

"Everything. I told him about my mother, Justin, the miscarriage. I just got it all off my chest."

Naomi reached out and rubbed her best friend's arm comfortingly. She knew how much Alyssa battled with herself on whether she should share the truth with Roman. Naomi was aware of how hard it was for the makeup artist to trust anybody with the details of her life before the WWE. The fact that she did that with Roman was a giant step in the right direction.

"So how did he respond?"

"Better than I expected," Alyssa replied with a tiny smile. "He was very understanding and comforting. And then he proceeded to tell me that he didn't care about my past but I had to make sure to let my past issues not affect our current relationship or our future. He said that the issues I had back in Chicago didn't change how he felt about me and that he would always be there for me when I need him."

"That's one sexy ass sweet man right there. You got a good man on your hands Lyssa. And all this time you were worrying."

Alyssa nodded, her tiny smile transforming into a goofy grin as she silently agreed with Cameron. She did have a great man and she was lucky that he walked into her life. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the reaction that would occur once she revealed the next tidbit of information. "We told each other we loved each other last night."

"WHAT?!" The Funkadactyls exclaimed in unison, their eyes widening in shock causing Alyssa to chuckle nervously.

"Girl you cannot drop that bomb on us and not give us details!"

"Well it all started when he told me that he wanted a future with me. That he saw me being the type of woman that he could eventually marry and be the mother of his children. And then out the blue he declared that he was falling in love with me. And y'all I was so scared because we all know what happened last time I was in love. But when I stared into Roman's grey eyes and saw the sincerity and adoration shining, it hit me that I loved him too. He's been the perfect gentleman since we've started dating. I was just trying to be stubborn and push him away but I can't lie to myself anymore. I love Roman so much it makes my heart ache and leaves me breathless," Alyssa admitted as a few tears escaped her eyes.

Cameron squealed as she wrapped her arms around Alyssa's shoulders, unable to contain her happiness and excitement for her friend. "That's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard somebody say Alyssa. Sounds like you had a great birthday."

A coy chuckle escaped Alyssa's plump lips as she nodded, her doe like eyes twinkling as her grin widened to her ears. "Yeah it was a great birthday indeed."

Cameron and Naomi shared a look before glancing back at Alyssa. They shared another look before Cameron started to squeal again. "OOOOOOHHHHHH Y'ALL DID THE NASTY DIDN'T Y'ALL?!" Cameron exclaimed loudly making Alyssa slap her in the arm as a few other wrestlers and backstage workers shot a look in the trio's direction.

"Damn could you be even louder Cam?" Alyssa asked, the goofy grin still intact as her cheeks turned a deep crimson shade from embarrassment. "All you two nosey heffas need to know is that I had a great birthday thanks to Roman."

Cameron jumped up and down happily, clapping her hands together. "That's what I'm talking about. You don't even have to admit it boo. It's all on your face."

"What?"

"This glow. The goofy grin. The faraway look in your eyes. This aura you have about yourself. Yep that's that 'he fucked me good now I'm addicted to the dick' look right there."

Alyssa shook her head at Cameron's antics and turned to face Naomi. "Why are we friends with her again?"

Naomi shrugged her shoulders. "I have no fucking clue." She chuckled as Cameron flipped both her and Alyssa off. "Well I'm happy for y'all. I told you that Roman was a good guy at heart and that you should give him a chance and not let backstage gossip deter you. I'm glad to see that you took my advice and that he hasn't let me down. I can't have my maid of honor and Jimmy's cousin hating each other at my wedding," she said, referring to her wedding that was in a few weeks.

"We're just so happy for you Alyssa. We remember how depressed you were when you first got the WWE a few years ago after your miscarriage and engagement ended. I'm so glad that you finally got over that pain and decided to find you somebody that can make you happy. Because if anybody deserves this happiness, it's you," Cameron said honestly as Naomi nodded her head.

Alyssa's grin grew wider as she saw how happy her friends were for her. The fact that her two best friends being overly excited for her relationship was just the icing on the cake in conjunction with how great things were between her and Roman. She wasn't used to people in her life being so supportive of her. But it was something that she would quickly grow accustomed to.

* * *

"Big dog what's up with ya?" Seth greeted Roman as he walked into the locker room, holding his fist out.

Roman pounded Seth's fist before doing the same to Dean's who was sitting on the bench in front of one of the lockers. Roman dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the bench next to Dean, running a hand over his face. After his night with Alyssa, he definitely wanted to stay with her as long as possible while they lazily caressed each other's naked bodies and pleasured each other some more. But reality quickly came knocking and reminded the two that they had to return to the real world. While Roman was excited to get back to work, his mind continued to wander to the night of intimacy the two of them shared the night before.

"Nothing much man," Roman replied.

"Well it looks like you're in a somewhat better mood. I guess you had a good night."

Roman chuckled as memories of him and Alyssa sharing themselves in the most intimate way possible flooded his brain. The experience was everything he imagined and more. His body shivered slightly as he remembered the intensity that shined in Alyssa's brown eyes when she first gazed at him, telling him that she was ready to show him in the most sensual way possible how much she loved him. The look of passion and vulnerability that was etched onto her face intensified his desire for her even more. A tiny smirk appeared on his face. "I had a damn good night."

"So did you make up with Alyssa?" Seth asked. Although he didn't know the specifics of the situation, he could tell that his friend and Alyssa had some type of disagreement. Roman's on screen character was known to have a stoic and emotionless personality, a personality that he quickly adopted behind the scenes. But once Alyssa entered his life, things changed. Roman wasn't afraid to start wearing his emotions on his sleeve, letting the world know how much he cared for Alyssa and how happy she made him. He became less introverted and became more easygoing about things. So when Roman started to revert back to his old personality, quickly snapping on small things and slowly going back to his recluse traits, the two toned hair wrestler knew that something must've happened with Alyssa. But instead of asking, he decided he was going to let Roman work everything out the way that he wanted to. Seeing the grin on his teammate's face, he could tell that everything was back to normal.

"Everything's good now."

"Good. As sickeningly sweet as y'all are she's good for you bro. You're happier when y'all are in a good place and a pain in the ass when y'all aren't," Seth said with a chuckle. "I never thought I would see the day where you would be so crazy about a woman and that she would have such a big impact on your emotions."

Roman nodded his head, silently agreeing that he never thought he would see the day either. He glanced over to Dean, his eyebrow raised at how quiet the man was. Typically the man would crack a few sarcastic jokes but instead he hadn't said anything. "You okay?" he asked his friend.

Dean shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he skimmed through his phone. "Yep," he simply replied, not bothering to look up at Roman.

Roman shot Dean a skeptical look before turning his attention back to Seth. "I never thought I would be this way either. But things are changing. I've had enough ass to last me two lifetimes. But after a while that shit gets stale and you have to start maturing and thinking about your future."

"You're talking like you're about to tell us you're ready to marry this chick," Dean said scoffing.

Roman swiveled his head to level a stoic stare at Dean, biting the inside of his lip. "What the fuck is wrong with you Ambrose?" Roman asked, turning his entire body to face his friend.

It wasn't a secret that Dean wasn't a fan of monogamous relationships and merely thought of women as a tool to help him relieve his sexual desires. Therefore he always teased Roman about his growing feelings for Alyssa although he was happy for his friend. But the way he was acting today gave Roman the impression that something else was on his mind and was definitely rubbing him the wrong way.

"Nothing at all man."

"No. Clearly you have something on your mind so speak."

Dean ran a hand through his messy hair and exhaled before standing to his feet. "Look it's nothing. I just think that instead of obsessing over this chick you should be focusing more on your career. Don't take your eyes off the prize."

"So lemme get this straight. When I was hooking up with multiple women you didn't think it would cause me to be unfocused on my career. But now that I'm trying to be in a relationship with one woman you think it's gonna distract me? You actually think I would be that dumb to let a relationship ruin my career?" Roman shook his head as a wry chuckle left his lips. "Unbelievable," he muttered.

"I'm just trying to help you out bro. I don't want you to fuck up this opportunity now that management has deemed you their golden boy."

"And what the fuck does that mean?" Roman growled as he stepped closer to Dean, his jaw twitching in anger.

"Don't act like you don't know that management has everything invested for you to be the future of the company. You have to look that they are crazy for and you were born into wrestling royalty."

"So are you trying to say I didn't earn this? That I didn't work my ass off for this?" Roman growled, his anger beginning to bubble over.

Seth quickly jumped up and stepped in between his two friends, attempting to diffuse the tense atmosphere. He constantly found himself playing the peacemaker role with Roman and Dean since they tended to bump heads often. Although he understood where Dean was coming from with his advice, he knew there was a chance that Roman could possibly take it the wrong way.

"Look I think what Dean means is that Roman this is your time to become the superstar you want to be and neither of us wants to see that chance slip away. We want you to succeed because you're our friend. Am I right Dean?" Dean nodded his head as he held his hands up in a surrendering stance. "But Dean if Roman says that he has everything under control then just let it be. He is a grown man so he knows what he can handle and what he can't."

Dean ran a hand over his unruly hair as he stepped away. "Look Ro all I'm trying to say is that you're lucky enough to have this opportunity that a lot of wrestlers wish they had. I just don't want to see it slip away. Because you'll never know if you can get it back. I know you care about Alyssa but don't forget about why you're here. You're here to become a superstar not find a wife." Dean stuck his fist out for Roman. "We cool?"

Roman bit the corner of his lip as he tried to make his anger dissipate. He had a tendency to blow up whenever somebody tried to insinuate that he wouldn't be in the position he was in if wasn't for his looks or his family. While he still knew he had a way to go developing as a wrestler, he didn't like when people try to make it out as if he wasn't talented when he knew he was.

But maybe Seth was right. Maybe Dean was just doing his part as a mentor/friend and offering Roman valuable advice that would help him in the long run. Maybe he didn't mean any harm by what he said and was only dishing out his own version of tough love.

After a few minutes of silence, Roman stuck his fist out and bumped Dean's, accepting the truce as questions about his friend's behavior swirled through his mind.

* * *

"Baby are you sure you're okay?" Alyssa asked Roman as she stepped out his rental car, grabbing her clutch off the seat. Alyssa shot Roman a worried glance as she watched him absentmindedly nod his head. The two rode to the Italian restaurant in an awkward silence and Alyssa could clearly tell that something was weighing on Roman's mind. At first she was going to let him have his moment, deciding that if he wanted to tell her something he would. But Alyssa went against her earlier decision, not liking how quiet and distracted Roman seemed.

Roman shut the door and grabbed Alyssa's hand. The couple began to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant, their hands instantly intertwining with the each other's. "I'm cool."

Alyssa stopped walking and tugged on Roman's elbow making him stop in stride as well. His gaze fall to her face and he automatically felt bad about the cold shoulder he was giving her when he saw the concerned look etched on her face. He exhaled deeply when Alyssa placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing his stubble. "Ever since we returned to the hotel room after the show you just seem distant. And don't even try to tell me it's nothing because you can't lie to me."

A light chuckle escaped Roman's lips, silently admitting that Alyssa was right and that he couldn't lie to her. He ran a hand over his face as he thought back to the encounter he had with Dean earlier. Truth was he was still upset about the disagreement and couldn't shake the bad feeling he had. He was used to Dean talking shit about him becoming a one woman man but there was something else that seemed to be bugging his stable mate and he couldn't put his finger on it. But he didn't want to tell Alyssa that there was tension between him and Dean because of her. Especially not so soon after they reconciled and not tonight.

"Just a stupid argument between me and Dean," Roman admitted. "Nothing major."

Alyssa squinted her eyes as she cocked her head to the side, getting the feeling that Roman wasn't being completely honest with her but shrugged her shoulders. She knew that she couldn't force him to tell her everything that was bugging him at that time. Alyssa simply shrugged her shoulders, silently accepting Roman's explanation for now as she grabbed his hand and quickly walked into the restaurant.

Once inside the Italian restaurant, Alyssa and Roman followed the hostess, Alyssa's brown eyes admiring the elegant decor enhanced by sparkling chandeliers as they made their way towards the back for more privacy.

"SURPRISE!"

Alyssa's hands flew to her mouth in awe as the faces of her smiling friends greeted her the moment she walked into the private dining room. Naomi & Cameron stood in the front, beaming with large smiles on their faces. A few other wrestlers and divas, such as Jimmy and Jey, Seth, AJ Lee, Alicia Fox, and Cody Rhodes, along with a sprinkling of some of her backstage co-workers stood in the room as well. Alyssa quickly turned around to see a smiling Roman standing behind her and smirked, playfully slapping him in the arm. As if last night wasn't wonderful enough, he somehow found the time to plan a surprise birthday dinner for her as well. Yep Roman Reigns was full of surprises.

"You're such a sneaky man," she said with a grin, wagging her finger at him.

"Don't act like you're not pleasantly surprised gorgeous." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead, making the dinner guests release a collective awww at the public display of affection. Alyssa giggled as she stared into his eyes as Roman rolled his own. "Happy birthday," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her body close to him, engulfing her in a hug.

"Thank you. I wasn't expecting this at all when you said you wanted to take me to dinner."

"That's why it's called a surprise babe." Roman chuckled as Alyssa pushed him the chest playfully. He pulled away when he saw Naomi and Cameron approaching them, leaving the three friends alone as he went to greet a few of the wrestlers.

"Girl you don't know how hard this was keeping it to myself earlier," Cameron explained as she hugged her friend. She pulled away running a hand over the simple black dress she wore. "Roman's been planning this dinner for a while."

"Really?" Alyssa asked, her brown orbs widening at the admission.

Naomi nodded her head, a smile stuck on her face. She thought it was very sweet of Roman to plan the surprise dinner for Alyssa. Less than six months of being together, and he was already doing more to celebrate Alyssa's birthday than her own mother did. "Yeah he thought you would figure it out tho because you're so damn nosey," she said with a laugh as Alyssa smacked her lips.

Alyssa glanced over to her shoulder at Roman, watching as he talked and joked with Seth, Jimmy, Jey, and Cody. Her eyes roamed up and down his outfit which included a crisp forest green buttoned shirt and matching black dress pants, the top buttons on his shirt undone to reveal a small piece of his chest. She bit her bottom lip as images of her ripping the shirt off of him later to thank him for her birthday celebration ran through her mind, instantly igniting a fire inside the pit of her stomach. She turned back to face her friends who looked at her in amusement.

"What?"

"So you're just gonna eye fuck Roman right in front of us?" Naomi asked making Alyssa blush and laugh.

"I mean I don't blame you because that man is looking good tonight," Cameron said, leaning her head back to admire Roman.

"Watch yourself now. You already have a man that you should be staring at." Alyssa shot Cameron a death glare as she pointed to Big E. Langston who was talking to a few other wrestlers.

Cameron held up her hands defensively, indicating she didn't want any of Alyssa's ire. "I'm just saying. You got good taste girl. I'm just admiring."

"Mmhmm I see I'm gonna have to watch you around my man," Alyssa quipped to her friend as she felt Roman's muscular arms wrap around her shoulders before he placed a sweet kiss on her temples.

Roman tossed a crooked grin at The Funkadactyls. "Thanks for not spilling the beans to this one right here."

"No problem Roman. She had no clue. She was too busy glowing about y'all night last night," Cameron blurted. Naomi slapped her tag team partner in the arm as Alyssa's eyes widened at the slip. Roman burst into a raucous laugh.

"Cameron let's go say hi to AJ & Alicia," Naomi said as she grabbed her friend's wrist, attempting to pull her away before she blurted anything else that she shouldn't.

"But we've already said hi to th-" Cameron's sentence was cut off as Naomi quickly yanked her away from Roman and Alyssa.

Roman stepped in front of Alyssa who hid her face behind her hands, his signature smirk still intact as he found her embarrassment cute and endearing. "So I see you told them."

"I didn't tell them everything. But they claim I don't need to tell them because they know what happened since apparently I had this certain aura about myself today and I was glowing."

Another chuckle left Roman's lips. "Damn I was that good?" he teased making Alyssa push him in the chest again. "Don't be ashamed. I think it's cute baby. If I got anything to say about it you're going to be glowing a lot more while we're together."

Alyssa playfully rolled her eyes before she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Cocky much?"

"Damn straight."

The petite makeup artist giggled as she shook her head. "Roman If I haven't told you already, thank you for everything. I never liked celebrating my birthday when I was younger but you made this the best birthday ever. I wasn't expecting all of this at all."

"No need to thank me Alyssa. I wanted to do it for you. I care about you so I wanted to make sure I made your birthday memorable. You deserve it."

"You definitely did that." Alyssa grinned coyly, indicating that she wasn't only talking about the surprise dinner that evening.

"And if I haven't told you already, you look absolutely stunning in this dress," Roman grumbled as he looked over Alyssa's figure hugging red A-Line dress, her breasts sitting perkily in the frock. "I can't wait to get back to the room so I rip it off of you."

Alyssa smirked slightly at Roman as she stood on the tips of her toes, her mouth close to his ear. "Or you could just take me in the bathroom since I'm not wearing any panties," she whispered as she backed away from him slowly, winking.

* * *

**A/N: Roman is such a sweetie ain't he? GAH! R&R :-)**


	16. Chapter 14

**_A/N: First off can we just commiserate about how fuckin bad ass Reigns was in the Rumble? And looking all sexy while doing it? YOU GO BOY! But onto the update: Warning: Ovaries may explode. As well as heads. _**

* * *

Alyssa groaned as she sighed contently, her brown eyes shut. She inhaled deeply as she leaned her head back against the headboard, tingles running down her spine at the feeling of Roman's hand on her. Although they had only been together for a few months, it was as if he knew exactly what spots to touch to drive her wild. Every time his hands touched her, it felt like an eruption happened inside her body.

"That feels great baby. You have magical hands," Alyssa replied in a soft voice as she opened her eyes to stare at Roman.

Roman chuckled as he continued to massage Alyssa's foot while lying at the bottom of the king sized bed, his large hand slowly moving up her calf while he bit his bottom lip whenever she moaned satisfactorily. After a wonderful birthday dinner with her friends, Alyssa eagerly accepted Roman's invite back to his room for a nightcap to end her birthday celebration. Fortunately, the ride back to the hotel was filled with more laughter and conversation than the ride to the restaurant. But Alyssa could still tell that something was on Roman's mind. Now that they were in the privacy of the hotel room, she decided to bite the bullet to see what was wrong with her boyfriend.

"So are you ready to talk about what you're pissed at Dean about?" Alyssa asked as his hands moved to her other foot.

Roman exhaled as he kneaded her foot with his knuckles, memories of the disagreement he had with Dean flooding his mind. He tried to put it out of his mind, deciding that maybe he was overreacting and Dean was just trying to be a good friend. After all, Dean had been in the business for a much longer time than Roman so he could've just been looking out for the Samoan man. That's at least what Roman tried to tell himself so he wouldn't ruin Alyssa's birthday celebration. But no matter how hard he tried to push the idea to the back of his brain, he still couldn't shake the feeling he had.

Roman knew that Alyssa noticed a change in his behavior from the time they first got to the arena to when they returned to the hotel after the show. Whereas he was able to hide his emotions from others, Alyssa saw right through him as if she was clairvoyant. So he knew sooner or later he would have to share with her what the problem was.

"It's stupid to be honest," Roman said after a few seconds of silence.

"But it's still on your mind baby. Look I'm not forcing you to tell me. But remember we're supposed to confide in each other and not hold shit in because it's not healthy," Alyssa reminded him.

Roman bit the corner of his lip, nodding his head in agreement. He exhaled as his hand began to massage Alyssa's toes. "Dean and I kinda got into a disagreement that was kinda about you."

Alyssa's brow furrowed in confusion. To her knowledge, Dean didn't have a problem with her just like she didn't have a problem with him. So she didn't know why him and Roman would end up arguing over her. "Me? What I do?"

"Nothing at all babe. It's just that Dean's just so fuckin weird about relationships in the sense of he doesn't think they're important and that they're unneccessary. In his eyes all that matters is succeeding in this business. So in his own special way he was just trying to counsel me and tell me that I shouldn't get so wrapped up in you and that I should keep my eyes on the prize which is eventually becoming the face of the company."

"Your career is important to you and he just wants to make sure that you don't lose this opportunity. I want the same thing I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I ever had somewhat of an impact on you not achieving your dreams so I understand where he is coming from," Alyssa said. "But I can tell that there's something else on your mind."

Roman sighed again, somewhat in awe at how well Alyssa could read him. It was as if she knew him like the back of her hand just like he knew her. "Well then he kinda made a comment to the effect of _'You're the company's newly crowned golden boy because you have the look that they want in their stars and you're related to The Rock.'_ I mean he was acting as if I didn't have the talent to become the future of the company as if the only reason I'm in this position that I'm in is because of my looks and my familial connections. So that's what made me kinda snap."

"Kinda snapped Roman?" Alyssa asked with a doubtful raise of her brow.

"Ok I snapped. But that shit pissed me off. I know I don't have the experience that Seth, Dean, and a lot of the other guys in the back have. But I feel like I've worked hard to get to this point and that I've come a long way. And Dean of all people should know that because he's been there since I was down in developmental to now. So for him to say that it sort of rubbed me the wrong way."

Alyssa's lips turned downward into a frown at Roman's saddened look on his face. "Come here handsome," she whispered, motioning towards him with her index finger.

Roman placed Alyssa's leg down and climbed in the bed next to her. He pulled her body close to his as Alyssa rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers lazily drawing circles on his knee. "Do you know why I call you a superstar Roman?" she asked softly.

"Because you were flirting with me on our first date," Roman replied causing Alyssa to chuckle and swat him in his chest playfully.

"No asshole. I call you that because that's what I see when I look at you. There are only a few guys in the company that have this aura about themselves that show that they have the ability to be the face of the company and you're one of them. The way you carry yourself in interviews, the way you are around fans whether they're young or old, the way you demonstrate professionalism backstage those are all traits that a superstar should have. And trust me people notice the improvements you've made in the ring, in your promo work, in your character development. Because if they didn't think you made any improvements you wouldn't be getting this push. I mean you started at the bottom as Leakee and you're here being chosen to set records at Survivor Series. And what's so crazy is that this is only the beginning." Alyssa glanced up at Roman and shot him a tiny smile.

"Now maybe Dean didn't mean to hurt you or upset you with what he said. I don't know what's going on his mind so I can't tell you exactly what he meant. But what I can tell you is that I'm proud of you. I know how much it means to you to succeed in this business because it's in your blood. And I don't give a damn if the entire world doubts what you can do. Because in my eyes you are a superstar and a main event player. It may not happen overnight but one day you will reap the benefits of your hard work. I'm sure of it babe."

Roman grasped Alyssa's hand tightly as a smile crept onto the corners of his face. At first he thought that his love for her couldn't bloom any more but she proved him wrong. The thought of her having so much faith in him and his career made him feel honored that she was in his life. He never dealt with a woman that cared as much as Alyssa did. All they cared about was how far he could carry them so they can obtain the lifestyle they desired. But Alyssa was different. She was more concerned with his happiness and wanted to make sure he accomplished his dreams for his sake. There wasn't a selfish hidden agenda that she had in her possession. She just truly loved him and wanted him to be happy in every aspect of his life.

"I don't know what I did to have you in my life but I'm glad you're here," Roman said as he placed a simple kiss to her temple.

"I have your back just like you have mine Roman. We're in this together. You support me when I need you and I'm willing to do the same for you. I know you're a wrestler and you're expected be tough. But I'll understand if some days you can't be and you need me to be tough for both of us."

Roman couldn't wrap his mind around how amazing the woman that was enveloped in his embrace was. It was as if Alyssa always said the right things at the right time. He leaned down and pecked Alyssa's lips softly, running his hand through her wavy hair. Alyssa slightly whimpered against his mouth when she felt his other hand brush against her ass as he pulled her body closer to his. He pulled away, his grey eyes boring into her brown ones as he nibbled on his bottom lip. "Thank you. This was supposed to be your night to celebrate your birthday and I didn't want to ruin your night with my drama."

A soft chuckle escaped Alyssa's lips as she shook her head. "Boy please. If anything I'm glad it's you with the drama and not me. I've had enough of it these past few years. Anyway you didn't ruin my night so I'm fine. But I did have another idea in mind on how to end it."

"Oh really?" Roman shot Alyssa a crooked smile making her giggle.

"I just wanted to give you a proper thank you for making my birthday so wonderful."

"And how did you plan on doing that gorgeous?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," Alyssa said, her voice breathless.

Roman's smile widened as he felt Alyssa trace the outline of his penis through his pants. Her eyes met his again and he growled at the desire that was apparent in her gaze. He shook his head, deciding to play coy. "Nope I don't think I know Miss Stewart. You may have to show me."

Alyssa grinned, deciding to play along with Roman's game. She climbed on top of him as her dress slowly rose above her hips, exposing her bottom half. True to her word, she wasn't wearing any panties making Roman's growl intensify at the sight. Alyssa leaned forward and pressed her lips to Roman's, sensually grinding her pussy on his covered crotch, eliciting a deep groan from her own lips. Her hands weaved through his loose wavy hair as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Roman swallowed her moans as their tongues tangled with each others. Alyssa's body shivered slightly as Roman's hands landed on her hips, gripping the supple skin softly.

Alyssa pulled away from the kiss, nibbling the corner of her bottom lip, her brown eyes dark with passion. She slowly unbuttoned Roman's shirt, placing soft kisses on his exposed skin before the entire shirt ended up on the floor. Her hands moved to his belt buckle, quickly removing it before she pushed the dress pants down his muscular legs. Roman shimmied the pants off his body, kicking them to the floor along with his shirt. Roman hissed quietly as her manicured index finger forged a trail down his chest stopping short of his crotch. She smiled mischeviously at him.

Alyssa climbed off of Roman and stood in front of the foot of the bed. Roman instantly went to join her before she held up her finger, stopping him in his tracks as she shook her head. "Unt uh. You stay right where you are Mr. Reigns," she instructed him firmly. Alyssa maintained eye contact with Roman as she began to remove her jewerly starting with her gold stud earrings, placing them on the dresser. She pulled off her matching gold necklace and sat it next to her earrings before she reached around her back and slowly unzipped her red dress, the fabric slowly falling down her mocha hued arms. The dress slowly fell down to her midsection, revealing the black strapless bra that covered her breasts. She climbed back onto the bed and slowly crawled back towards Roman as if she was stalking her prey in the wild. She stopped in front of him as she grabbed his hand, guiding the hand over her body slowly controlling his motions.

"Stop fuckin teasing me gorgeous," Roman growled making Alyssa chuckle.

"Tell me what you want Roman," she ordered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Roman bit the inside of his jaw as his hands found their home on Alyssa's waist again, squeezing her skin again. "Take that fuckin bra off so I can suck on my titties."

Alyssa smirked as she felt the juices in her pussy slowly start to drip down her leg at Roman's bold dirty talk. "Your titties, Mr. Reigns?"

"Yes. Mine. Your entire body is mine and nobody else can have it gorgeous."

Alyssa reached behind her back and swiftly unhooked her bra letting it fall to the floor along with Roman's clothes, her perky breasts released from the inhibiting piece of fabric. Roman instantly sat up and attached his mouth to her left breast causing her to sharply exhale. She leaned her head back, her eyes easing close as her mouth slightly opened at the feel of Roman's lips and tongue on her nipples causing her pussy to quiver in anticipation.

"Mmmm baby I love feeling your mouth on my titties," Alyssa said with a moan as Roman directed his attention to her right breast. Roman glanced into her face and winked before softly biting her nipple, shocking Alyssa and making her yelp softly. His tongue created a circle around her areola before he blew on the wet spot to create a cooling sensation. He quickly pulled the nub inside his mouth and sucked on it for a few more seconds before he pulled away. Roman's hand gingerly grabbed Alyssa by the back of the neck and pulled her face closer to his.

Their lips met for another hungry kiss, their tongues immediately intertwining with the other. Roman's hands slyly disappeared underneath the front of Alyssa's dress and he quickly ran his finger along her slit, discovering how wet she was for him. His finger rubbed across her clit agonizingly slow as Alyssa gripped Roman's shoulders trying to steady herself.

"You like that don't you baby?" Roman asked with a smirk. Roman slowly inserted a finger inside of her, causing her to gasp blissfully. He added another which made her grip his shoulders tighter. He slowly thrust his fingers inside her, his speed gradually increasing. "I said you like that don't you baby?" Alyssa simply nodded her head as she bit her lip, unable to formulate a sentence. "Damn you're wet as hell babe. Is that all for me?"

"Only you Roman," Alyssa whimpered, her pussy muscles contracting on his fingers.

Sensing that she was close to the edge, Roman withdrew his fingers from her wet core making her whimper sadly. He held them up to Alyssa's mouth. "Taste yourself," he ordered in a deep husky voice. Alyssa's lips parted partially as Roman placed his finger inside her mouth. Alyssa slowly sucked her juices off his finger as she shared an intense stare with him making him groan deeply and his dick to harden. He inserted his other finger into her mouth and watched as her jaw muscles contracted while she sucked on his finger, her lips making a plopping sound when he removed his fingers.

"You taste good don't you?" he asked.

Alyssa nodded her head as she softly pushed Roman on the bed on his back. "But now it's time for me to taste you handsome."

Roman held his breath in anticipation as Alyssa's slender fingers slipped inside the waistband of his boxer briefs, slowly pulling the underwear down his legs. Roman's penis eagerly sprung out of his underwear, greeting Alyssa. Alyssa's small hands grasped his dick, softly squeezing it as she stared at it in awe, her eyes memorizing every vein while it pulsed in her hand. Roman's length and girth was amazing and was something that most men didn't have; they either had one or the other. But Roman was definitely blessed and gifted in that category.

"I hope you know that if my body is yours, then your body is mine Roman," Alyssa purred as her hands slowly moved up and down his shaft. "This dick is mine and will always be mine. Do you understand that?"

Roman nodded his head, silently agreeing with Alyssa. He could never imagine being with anybody after Alyssa and didn't have that desire to do so. If it was up to him, he would make love to his gorgeous girlfriend for the rest of his life.

Without warning, Alyssa's tongue licked the shaft of Roman's dick making the Samoan man wince softly. Her tongue traveled upward as if she was licking a popsicle before her mouth arrived at the head. She dipped her tongue into the slit of his dick making Roman arch his body off the bed. Alyssa engulfed his head in her mouth as she moved downward, gradually inserting more of him into her mouth before she took as much as she could without gagging.

Alyssa bobbed her head up and down, her jaws clenching around Roman's dick as her tongue swirled around his head. Her hand started to slowly jerk along his length as she continued to suck him off. Roman placed his hand on the back of her head and gingerly applied pressure, making her take more of him into her mouth. His pleasurable groans filled the room as he felt himself hit the back of her throat. Alyssa removed her mouth from around Roman's dick to his chagrin. Alyssa smirked again before she leaned forward and spit on the penis making Roman stare at her in awe. One would be disgusted by the act she just committed but Roman couldn't help but be turned on.

"Ah shit Alyssa. You're fuckin great at this," Roman groaned softly making Alyssa grin at the compliment.

She started to stroke his penis with her hand while she attached her mouth back to it, her right hand traveling between his legs and grasping his balls. Her pace continued to gradually increase leading to Roman's legs to involuntarily twitch.

"Baby stop before I cum," Roman said hoarsely. Although he loved the feeling of his dick held captive in her warm and moist mouth, he did not want to end their night by spurting his cum in her mouth. No, he had to make sure she reached her orgasm before he even thought about his own.

Alyssa reluctantly ceased her movements and brought her face to Roman's, capturing his lips in another kiss. Roman's hands hurriedly pushed her dress down her body before he grabbed his penis, rubbing the head against her entrance impatiently. Alyssa placed her hands on his shoulders again as she eased herself on top of Roman, his dick slowly inserting in her core as a soft sigh tumbled from her full lips. Her eyes slowly closed as she savored the feeling of Roman inside of her and how perfectly he filled her out. The way her pussy hugged his dick like a glove made her arrive to the determination that Roman was made specifically for her and nobody else. They were meant to be together.

"Are you okay?" Roman asked, placing his hand on her chin and turning her head to face his.

Alyssa nodded her head as she started to slowly rotate her hips as Roman thrusted inside her. She slowly began to bounce on his penis as they reached a common pace, slowly starting to rock as their movements meshed into one. The sounds of Alyssa's ass slapping against Roman's thighs permeated the air, making a warm flush invade Alyssa's body. She leaned forward as Roman's arms wrapped around her body, the movement angling her perfectly for Roman's penis to reach her special spot.

"SHIT!" Alyssa exclaimed softly as she felt the tip of Roman's dick hit her G-spot, her legs instantly quivering, her motions becoming erratic making Roman close his grey orbs in ecstasy.

"Damn you're so tight and wet for me Alyssa. You feel fuckin wonderful," Roman groaned in her ear, lightly biting it. He slapped her ass making her bounce on his penis faster. "You wanna cum all on this dick?"

"Yeeessss I wanna cum all on your dick Roman," Alyssa moaned as her body continued to jerk on top of Roman. She bit her bottom lip roughly as she felt more juices seep out of her vagina, coating Roman's dick. The familiar tingling sensation began to travel up her legs causing her legs to slowly tremble, her body pausing in the middle of a spasm."YESSSSSSSSSSS!" Alyssa softly exclaimed as her orgasm washed over her. A sudden wave of heat took over her body as her upper body jerked back and forth.

Roman growled as he watched his girlfriend come undone in front of him, his arms wrapped around her body tightly to keep her from falling off the bed. Once Alyssa recovered from her orgasm, Roman quickly flipped her on her back, his penis still inside her. He started to pump inside her, his pace frantic as he placed her leg on top of his shoulder. Alyssa clenched the sheets tightly as she watched the sweat trickle down Roman's chest, his grey eyes glazed over as his face contorted in concentration. Alyssa twisted her hips deliberately making Roman's fingers sink into her legs, a move that would surely leave an imprint the next day. Her vaginal muscles squeezed on on his dick and held it tightly before relaxing, a move that drove Roman wild.

"You..feeeelll...FUUUUUCCCCKKK ALYSSA!" Roman hissed loudly as his orgasm arrived making him squirt his semen inside of his beautiful girlfriend. He absentmindedly continued to stroke inside her, wanting to empty all of his contents inside her awaiting pussy as his orgasm died down, his penis twitching inside of her by the time he finally stopped. Roman took deep breaths as he tried to regulate his breathing as he stared at Alyssa's body, smiling at the sight of her glistening petite frame.

He abruptly removed his penis and attached his lips to Alyssa's clit, completely catching her off guard. He sucked on her clit quickly as he plunged two fingers inside her, her hands instantly tangling in his hair and pulling it as she tried to push her pussy closer to his mouth. Within a few seconds, her second orgasm crashed into her leaving her breathless.

Once her juices stopped flowing into his mouth, Roman removed his head from in between her legs. He silently climbed back into bed with her and sprawled on one side of the bed. Alyssa automatically snuggled closer to him, placing her hand on his chest as she tried to control her breathing.

"What did I tell you about being sneaky?" she asked with a euphoric grin on her face. She lifted Roman's arm and placed it over her shoulders to make herself more comfortable.

"That's what you get for that fuckin striptease earlier. And for you teasing me all night about you not wearing any panties at the dinner."

Alyssa nestled her head on Roman's chest, listening to his heart beat rapidly attempting to return to its steady pace after their intense lovemaking session. She outlined his tattoo with her index finger as she gazed into his face. She kissed his chest softly. "I love you. Thank you for such an amazing birthday."

"I love you too gorgeous and you're more than welcome babe. Thank you for the pep talk earlier. It was exactly what I needed to hear," Roman replied, placing a feathery kiss on the top of her head. A few seconds later they both drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

Dean splashed the lukewarm water on his face before patting it dry with a towel, the plush texture soothing his skin. He tossed the towel in his gym bag and zipped it up before leaving the men's bathroom. After his encounter with Roman, Dean decided to work out his frustration at the gym alone. He knew he and Roman needed their time apart to decompress and let their anger subside before things came to a head and got really ugly.

_'Fuck I shouldn't had said anything,'_ Dean chided himself as he dodged the other fitness fanatics in the gym as he headed towards the exit. He didn't even know where his reaction came from. Although they only knew each other for a short amount of time after training in developmental and working together in The Shield, Roman was like a brother to him and he wanted the best for him both professionally and romantically.

But Dean couldn't help to admit that a twinge of jealousy appeared in his side whenever he saw how happy Roman was.

Dean's head twisted to the side as he admonished himself for such a thought running through his mind. This was one of his closest friends therefore jealousy shouldn't even flashed through his body towards Roman and at first it didn't. Sure he gave Roman shit for how he gushed whenever Alyssa came around but that was what men did. They constantly ragged on their friends if they showed signs of being a whipped for a chick. But deep down he was honestly happy for his friend.

Until Summer Rae got in his ear.

On the surface, Dean appeared as if he didn't care or pay any attention to what Summer Rae told him the night of Survivor Series. He acted as if what she said didn't matter and that he had no problem with Roman getting the push he always wanted on top of having the perfect woman by his side.

But it was simply a lie.

Ever since the conversation the two shared at the hotel bar, the wheels in Dean's head started to slowly turn. He started to think about the years he spent in the indy circuit, wrestling in front of crowds that ranged from 20 people to a few hundred people in the audience if he was lucky. He gave his performances everything he had in him only to earn a few bucks for his time. But instead of getting discouraged, he continued to work hard on his craft hoping that his hard work would pay off and he would recognize his dream.

That day came when he debuted at Survivor Series a year ago. It was in that moment that he realized the blood, sweat, tears that he dispensed throughout the years was worth it. Sure he would've liked if he debuted as a solo act but he knew that The Shield would go on to do great things, things that he dreamed about when he was younger while watching his idols in the ring.

One would think that Dean was on top of the world. After being involved in fantastic match after fantastic match and wrestling against legends like The Undertaker, he was living the dream that every indy wrestler had. He felt that he was well on his way to becoming a big star.

Until he learned that the WWE wanted Roman Reigns to be the big star and not him.

At first, Dean didn't want to face facts. He knew that Roman oozed the sexiness that appealed to the female demographic and had the bad ass charisma to become a favorite performer amongst men and children. But in Dean's eyes he himself wasn't a slouch in that category either.

However, the men that wrote the checks didn't see it that way. It all made sense after Survivor Series. The fact that Roman was chosen to be the sole survivor and eliminate 4 of their 5 opponents was setting up the stage for his big push. Roman was their guy. He was the one that they wanted to become the face of the company once the current golden boy, John Cena, retired. Instead of selecting a wrestler that toiled in the indy circuit while creating their own wrestling persona and technique, they wanted someone they could mold into what they believed was the perfect spokesperson.

Dean knew he should be happy for Roman. But the little nagging voice in his head that Summer Rae put in there kept telling him that it should've been him that was getting the attention, not a novice that he was teaching the tricks of the trade to. But the fact that it wasn't him pissed Dean off immensely.

"Well aren't you deep in thought."

Dean released an exasperated sigh as he turned away from the elevator, coming face to face with Summer Rae. He rolled his grayish blue eyes before stepping onto the awaiting elevator. He grumbled as she stepped on with him. "What do you want?" he snapped, his voice ice cold.

"Ooh somebody must've pissed you off Ambrose," Summer Rae inferred with a smirk, her blue eyes dancing with mischief. "Trouble with the hounds of justice?" Dean's silence answered Summer Rae's question as her smirk transformed into a full blown grin further fueling Dean's anger. "So I guess the cracks are starting to form now that you realize that Roman's the chosen one."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Dean replied as the elevator lifted to the floor he selected. He groaned inwardly when he noticed Summer Rae didn't select a floor meaning she was staying on the same floor he was.

"Keep telling yourself that Dean. The way I see it I could help you get everything you want."

Dean snickered at the diva's statement, glancing at her in amusement. "Really now? How can you help me become a superstar when you're still stuck in developmental yourself? The only reason that you're on the main roster is because you dance with a man that will be forever stuck in mid card purgatory."

The elevator dinged, indicating that they arrived to Dean & Summer Rae's floor. The two of them stepped off the elevator and walked down the corridor.

"My plan is still on the right track. I don't know if you've heard but management is high on me. I just have to continue doing what I'm doing and before you know it I'll be the hottest diva in the WWE. But you Mr. Ambrose, you could use some direction. You may be methodical but you're not a schemer like I am. And together we can get what we both want."

"And what exactly do you want Summer?"

The two stopped in front of Summer Rae's hotel room. She folded her arms across her chest. "I want Roman. I want to show that damn makeup artist that she isn't half the woman I am while taking her man from her. And I'm going to make sure I have him too."

"I still don't follow you. How does my desire to become a superstar help you in your quest for Roman?" Dean asked as he ran a hand through his unruly hair in confusion.

Summer Rae pulled her key card from her rear jean pocket and slid it in the door, promptly unlocking it. She held the door open and gestured inside with her head. "Come in and lemme enlighten you."

Dean watched as she walked into the room, catching the door with his foot. He hesitated as he argued with himself whether he could trust Summer Rae or if he should run as far as he can. The logical side urged him to run far away from diva and to push these thoughts out of his head. Instead, a deep sigh escaped his lips as he glanced around the corridor before following Summer Rae inside her room.

* * *

_A/N: Let the drama begin. R&R :-)_


End file.
